


Sidereal Rotations

by zzegnas



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-19
Updated: 2013-09-19
Packaged: 2017-12-26 23:46:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 30,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/971713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zzegnas/pseuds/zzegnas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>“So, you’re a bespoke tailor, right?  Like, people come in and they pick the fabrics they want and you sort of just make the suit and make sure it fits?  Or they bring in their own suits to be fixed?” Zayn asks this in a span of three seconds, amusing Harry when he turns his head to take a deep breath.  “I mean, I figure since you’re not a seamster or a dressmaker.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Where did you learn all of that?” Harry asks, impressed.  “Not many people who come in here know there’s a difference between the three.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I did a bit of research before I got here,” Zayn says with pride.</em>
</p><p>–<br/>Harry, a young tailor, befriends Zayn, an enthusiastic astronomy student from an elite university.  They attend a masquerade ball together, but not without a few mishaps before they get there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sidereal Rotations

**Author's Note:**

  * For [polishedstone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/polishedstone/gifts).



> A massive thank you to [Caitlin](http://archiveofourown.org/users/la_faerie/) for reading this over!
> 
> I meant to write this as a oneshot, but I malfunctioned and turned it into a long fic about Harry and Zayn's friendship. The videos for "[Disappear](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvo-bfaVsg0)" by INXS and "[Gravity of Love](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI_L1gk4lB8)" by Enigma were the inspiration for the masquerade ball.
> 
> I did as much research as I could in regards to bespoke tailoring and astronomy (the basics, mostly), but obviously I take full responsibility for any inaccuracies.

The long drive up the hill excites Harry, the light breeze that caresses his face, and the rush of the wind whistling through the trees that fills his ears.  The slow and steady hum of the car trudges along, and Harry closes the window, finding it hard to sit still no thanks to the twists and turns leading to Eidem Hall.  Harry runs his hand along the leather upholstery, its textured surface sending tingles up his arm.  He softly rubs the cold surface of the door handle with the pad of his thumb, moving it back and forth in time with the rumble of the engine.

The car slows down among the traffic leading towards the mansion, and Harry looks out of the window, catching glimpses of girls in their beautiful Victorian dresses and boys in their slick dinner jackets.  The decorated mask he ordered a week ago sits on his lap: the black and bronze laurel leaves lining the edges fanned outward; its appearance more like the wings of an eagle in flight from a distance.  His gray suit is immaculate, the white and blue polka-dotted shirt clean of wrinkles, and tailored to his lean body.

Harry leans even closer to the window, angling his head up to view the clear night sky.  The full moon lights the way to his destination, the stars shining just as brightly into his eyes.  Harry giggles to himself and sits back, his hand reaching to the seat next to him.  A warm hand is placed over his and Harry softly grips it for support.

“We’re just near the venue now,” the driver says over his shoulder.  “Shall I stop here or at the entrance?”

“Let’s drive to the front,” says a voice, not belonging to Harry.  “I personally think a grand entrance is in order.”

The car slowly makes its way behind a limousine, staying still for a moment until it moves again, and finally reaches a crowd of people that stand near the entrance.  Harry turns to face the passenger, his expression slowly turning from excited to devious.  There are no signs of butterflies in his stomach, but he’s feeling a tingle go up his spine when the guest leans over, and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

“Are you ready, Harry?”

“Let’s do this.”

–

The blaring of Harry’s alarm clock pierces his eardrums, scaring him awake like it does every morning.  He reaches over to slam the snooze button, then lazily rubs his eye, picking off the crust that formed in the corners and flicks them away.  He yawns as he sits up to stretch, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and twisting his body to crack his back before he lies face down on the floor, and starts a set of two hundred push-ups.  He’s recently set a goal for a thousand, and he’s slowly (but surely) getting there.  His job doesn’t require a lot of physical strength, but Harry needs his energy to at least stay fit.  After his push-ups, he switches to sit-ups, doing the at least three hundred until he falls back from exhaustion.

After taking his morning shower, he rifles through the many three-piece suits in his closet, and settles on a black pinstriped outfit for the day.  Putting on his trousers and dress shirt, he immaculately ties his burgundy necktie into a windsor knot, snugly fitting it under his adam’s apple before he puts on his waistcoat.  He checks his pockets for his keys and wallet before he grabs his suit jacket, and heads to the kitchen to prepare his breakfast.  Breakfast for Harry usually consists of tea, a banana, and apple cinnamon oatmeal; it’s a fairly light meal, but it’s enough to get him through the morning when he takes the train to work.

Harry works as one of the few tailors for a cloth merchant in the city, a career he’s not quite sure how fell into, but knows the skills he’s learned since childhood helped him get there.  The shop he works for isn’t exactly a department store, but Harry’s boss makes do with the reasonable space that they have.  Harry insisted on taking the morning shifts, usually cleaning around the shop and working with elderly gentlemen that smelled of spicy aftershave and stale cigarette smoke.

Clients came in and out, demanding their suit jackets were a little shorter, their waistcoats a little slimmer, their trousers a little tighter in the crotch area.  Fashion isn’t exactly Harry’s forte, but the process from textile to suit fascinates him, since he takes part in fixing all the minute details.  He makes a modest living from tailoring, considering the “old money” clientele, but it’s not until he meets a businessman by the name of Mr. Malik that makes him realize his talent and worth.

“You’re quite skilled at this for someone your age, Harry,” Mr. Malik tells him, “how did you learn it all?”

“Oh, thanks,” Harry blushes.  “Just a childhood thing, I guess.  I was always keen on making things fit correctly on all my toys and I guess it changed to clothes when I started growing into a beanstalk.”

Mr. Malik laughs heartily, shaking his head when he asks, “How keen are you to tailor my suits from now on?”

“I only work during the day, but I’m sure the other––”

“Don’t worry about time!” Mr. Malik interjects, waving off Harry’s apprehension.  “I’m a man who enjoys a nice suit every few weeks, and I’ve got loads more at home.  You call the shots and I’ll come ‘round when you’re here, deal?”

Harry hesitates for a moment, then nods his head, shaking Mr. Malik’s hand as an agreement.  “You’ll have the best fit in town, Mr. Malik, I can promise you that much.”

“I’m counting on you to make me look even better than I already do,” he laughs.  “Maybe you can make my son look just as good!  I’ll bring him around one day, you’d probably get along great.”

Harry was unaware that one man could own as many suits as Mr. Malik, but he worked twice as fast as the other tailors to keep up with the man's ever-changing wardrobe.  Every week that he came in, Mr. Malik often spoke about his family: his wife and three daughters with their bizarre day-to-day antics, and his night owl son with his strange sleeping habits that drove him crazy.  Harry was pretty curious about his son, and pictured a tall, gawky looking teenager who probably masturbated frequently.  Well, maybe not _frequently_ , but Harry’s sure he does it from time to time.

The one week Mr. Malik came into the shop with a suit he’d purchased from Salvatore Ferragamo, he brought along a young man and introduced him as Zayn, his only son.  The person Harry imagined was the complete opposite of who was standing in front of him; he was no gawky teenager, he must have been a robot to look as flawless as he does.  Zayn was just a few inches shorter, but the height of his slicked back duck’s tail made him seem a lot taller.  Harry wasn’t even sure if it was humanly possible for someone to look as well-featured as Zayn with his insanely angular and sharp jawline, paired with the mile-long eyelashes that fanned the air around them.

“Are you Harry?” Zayn asks, shaking Harry’s hand with a smile.  “My dad talks about you sometimes, I figured I’d finally come around and meet you," he giggles, bouncing on his tiptopes that make the hardwood floor creak underneath.  "Nice suit, by the way!”

“Thanks,” Harry says slightly embarrassed.  “I’m glad to meet you, Zayn.”

“The pleasure's all on this side, tailor man!” Zayn exclaims.  “So, you’re a bespoke tailor, right?  Like, people come in and they pick the fabrics they want and you sort of just make the suit and make sure it fits?  Or they bring in their own suits to be fixed?” he asks this in a span of three seconds, amusing Harry when he turns his head to take a deep breath.  “I mean, I figure since you’re not a seamster or a dressmaker.”

“Where did you learn all of that?” Harry asks, impressed.  “Not many people who come in here know there’s a difference between the three.”

“I did a bit of research before I got here,” Zayn says with pride.  Harry raises his eyebrow a little, endeared by Zayn’s goofy smile.  “Dad’s always getting new suits for work, and I think it’s cool ‘cause he looks really sharp, but mum thinks he’s spending too much money even though she’s always buying jewelry.”

“I’m guessing you don’t spend as much money as your parents?”

“Only on shoes,” Zayn replies, wiggling his foot to show off the black Nike high tops that sat below his tight jeans.  Zayn takes a seat in one of the leather chairs nearby, folding his hands over his stomach when he leans back.  Harry organizes a shelf of button-up shirts, keeping himself busy while Zayn waited for his father in the fitting rooms.

“Do you like this?  Being a tailor, I mean,” Zayn asks curiously.

“Sure,” Harry nods.  “I reckon I’m just fond of precise measurements and making things fit, that sort of thing.”

“That’s cool!  I guess I should say I like measuring, too.”

“Are you a baker?” Harry jokingly asks, and Zayn shakes his head with a smile.

“No, measuring as in, the distance from here to the moon and other planets,” Zayn says with wide eyes.

“Planets?” Harry raises a brow, giving Zayn a confused look.

“Okay, I made myself sound really weird,” Zayn puts his hands up in defense.  “It’s a bit geeky, but I’m studying astronomy at Ancens University.”

“Whoa, isn’t that an elite school?  No wonder your father said you have a weird sleeping schedule.”

“Well, yeah!  I mean, I spend all my time studying, how else will I have time to masturbate in the dead of night?” Zayn says nonchalantly.  Harry’s eyes widen in fear and Zayn bursts out laughing, breaking his serious tone.  “I’m kidding!  I’m usually on the roof of my house with my telescope at like two in the morning.  It drives my parents mad but I don’t care.”  Zayn sits up in the chair, excitedly drumming his knees with his hands.  “And not to brag or anything, but I can spot constellations,” he pauses, then snaps his fingers, “ _like that_.”

“Impressive!” Harry says, amused.  “Even with all the light pollution in the city?”

“There are ways to get around it,” Zayn shrugs.  “But, hey, my telescope hasn’t let me down so far.  Maybe I’ll show you the stars one day.”

–

Harry and Zayn become fast friends after their first encounter, and day after day for the next four months, Zayn makes it a ritual to visit the shop after class, so much that Harry’s boss jokingly considers hiring him just for being there.  Harry looks forward to seeing Zayn, and considers it the best part of his day when they sit on the leather chairs and talk about anything that crossed their minds.  One of the things they realize they have in common is their love for the television show, _Cold Case_ , and watch reruns together via text messages every night.

Zayn does his homework in the back of the shop while Harry is working, and usually rambles on about his astronomy readings or late-night observations of the stars when Harry takes a break.  Harry never really put much thought into his studies when he was in school, but listening to Zayn speak so passionately about his major was enough for Harry to look at the stars every night before he went to bed.

“You know, I feel we should be living on the moon by now, but I don’t think there’s enough resources to sustain any kind of life form,” Zayn explains, reading from his large textbook.

“But haven’t there been reports about that sort of thing on Mars?” Harry asks.  "Rebuilding civilization there would take millenia, I think.  Not to mention air quality is a bit dodgy."

“You've been reading my books, haven't you?" Zayn grins, tapping his bright pink highlighter over his book.  "But d’you reckon you’d want to live on a planet like Mars?”

“Can’t say I’ve given it much thought,” Harry ponders.  “I kind of like it here on Earth.”

“Me too,” Zayn grins.  “I like being here with you.”

Harry smiles, never giving Zayn’s earnest tone a second thought.  Zayn holds out his hands from where he sits on the wooden stool, and Harry leans in, giving him a hug.  Harry’s never been friends with anyone who hugged or kissed him as much as Zayn does, but he returns the favor out of love, never obligation.  Their physical affection for each other didn’t bother them or anyone else in the shop, but even if they did get an occasional glare from a coworker, it didn’t matter to either of them.  Harry and Zayn just meshed together, one without the other were simply two boys separated by time and space.

–

It’s not until a few days later when Harry is getting dressed for work that he’s feeling sleep deprived and cranky.  He doesn’t remember lazily drinking his morning tea or eating his breakfast, and he certainly doesn’t remember sending an incoherent text to Zayn before he left his flat.

Harry manages to make it through the morning rush of the tube, and struggles to stay awake during the train ride to the shop.  A small child’s piercing cries fills the carriage, but even then it wasn’t enough to shake Harry from his stupor.  When the train reaches his stop half an hour later, Harry takes his time when he leaves the station, slowly walking up the stairs and down the sidewalk, doing his best to stay focused.

He’s not exactly sure how he’s going to get through the day until he’s surprised to find Zayn sitting by the front door of the shop.  Harry walks a little faster and Zayn jumps to his feet, excitedly waving at him.  Just the mere sight of Zayn is already making Harry’s day infinitely better than it was just a few minutes ago.

“Good morning, sleepyhead!” Zayn laughs, giving Harry a hug.

“Zayn, what are you doing here?  Don’t you have class right now?” Harry asks, unlocking the door and letting him inside of the shop first.

“My first morning class got cancelled,” he replies, setting his bag behind the counter.  “I had some time to kill so I brought this for you,” he says, and hands Harry a large silver travel mug.  “It’s the strongest coffee I have in the house, I thought you could use it after that weird text you sent earlier.”

“I sent you a text?” he asks, surprised.  “What did I say?”

“Well that’s the thing,” Zayn pauses, pulling out his phone.  He shows Harry his message full of jumbled letters and Harry scratches his head, clearly baffled that he’d even sent it.  “If you asked me, I would have thought you were drunk when you sent that,” Zayn laughs.  “Drink the coffee, it’ll make you feel better.”

Harry twists open the mug and his nostrils are immediately hit with a strong, roasted scent.  He slowly brings the mug to his lips, blowing cool air onto the hot liquid before he takes his first sip.  The coffee is still hot enough to slightly burn his tongue, but the temperature was nothing compared to the smooth flavor of hazelnut that hit the back of his throat.

“Pretty good, huh?” Zayn asks excited.

“This is amazing, I’ve never tasted anything like it.”

“It’s my own special caffeine blend,” he says with a giggle, “ _which is probably not a good idea_ … but you’ll drink anything when you need to stay awake.”

“That’s true.”  The strength of the caffeine almost immediately hits Harry’s brain, making him space out.  Time seems to go by a lot slower in this state of mind for Harry until Zayn shakes his shoulders, and yells his name to bring him back to reality.

“I must have messed with the blend too much,” Zayn says worriedly.  “I didn’t think you’d go catatonic on me like that.”

“God, I’m sorry,” Harry whines, running his hands through his hair, looking electrocuted when he removes them.  “I’m still waking up and Boss wants me to deal with the new cashier today.”

“Well then drink up, ‘cause I’m putting you to work!” Zayn exclaims, fixing Harry's hair to a manageable state.  “I also have a teeny tiny little request for you today and you’re not allowed to refuse.”

Harry takes a few minutes to put his things away and slowly drinks Zayn’s coffee, still savoring the hints of hazelnut that lingered on his lips.  Harry and Zayn quickly clean up around the shop, mostly wiping down the shelves and cubbies from the dust that gathered at night.

Midway through cleaning the front counter, Zayn finally tells Harry his request: he needs a suit made for a special school event, and insists only Harry can take his measurements.

“You know I like being here with you, but I don’t trust your coworkers to touch my bits and bobs,” Zayn says with a scrunched face.

“Lovely!  Looks like I’ll have them all to myself then.”

“Harry, that isn’t funny!”

“I was just kidding!” Harry laughs, holding Zayn’s arms in place, “I'll make it quick and easy for you––I promise.”

Zayn nods his head in relief, then reaches around Harry to spank his ass.  Harry yelps and chases Zayn around the shop, looking to exact his revenge until a knock comes from the window, interrupting their play fight.  Harry takes a peek from behind a curtain, and finds a pale, blond young man standing by the doorstep, looking for anyone inside.  Harry slides towards the door and opens it, asking if he needs help.

“I’m Niall, I got hired for the cashier job,” he says nervously.  “I was told to come in around this time.”

“Oh, you're the new guy!  Come on inside,” he says, opening the door for Niall.  “I’m Harry, by the way.”  They shake hands, and Zayn jumps in between them, excitedly introducing himself to Niall.

“First thing you need to know is that Zayn doesn’t actually work here,” Harry explains, guiding Niall to the back of the shop.  “So if he tries to tell you to do something, ignoring him usually does the job.”

“So don’t talk to civilians,” Niall nods with a smile, “got it.”

“Zayn, I’m going to do some actual work now, you’ll be okay?” Harry asks, and Zayn simply nods at him.  Zayn settles into the leather chair by the display window, then takes out a small paperback book from his jacket, thumbing through the pages until he finds his Spiderman bookmark.

Harry gives Niall a guided tour of the shop, showing him the inner workings of it and how the place is organized.  Niall is surprised by the amount of scrap fabrics that lie in the back room of the shop, but Harry lets him know it’s nothing compared to the neverending chalk powder that dirties the floor.  Harry briefly shows Niall how to work the cash register, pressing several buttons that show how to clock in and out, price checks, and hourly sales segments.

“I know this is a lot to take in right now, but you’ll get the hang of it pretty quickly.”

“Doesn’t sound too bad,” Niall says with a smile, “but what happens if I get stuck?”

“You ask questions, of course,” Zayn says as he approaches them.  “Harry doesn’t bite that hard.”

“And how hard do _you_ bite?” Niall asks with a smirk.

Zayn bats his eyelashes, his expression turning dreamy that makes even Harry blush.  “I’m actually quite gentle,” he says softly.  “Right before I tear you to pieces.”

Harry’s boss arrives an hour after the shop opens, and Harry explains to him Zayn’s request for a tailor made suit.  His boss happily shows Zayn the shop’s small selection of made-to-measure suits, ranging from a black tie theme to a high-powered executive look.  Zayn picks out a pair of black trousers and a white shirt as a basic foundation, and runs into trouble when he can’t choose a color for the suit jacket he’d like to wear.  Harry suggests making one from scratch, and hauls several binders of fabric swatches for Zayn to choose from, hoping to keep him occupied while he continued training Niall.

Exactly fifteen minutes later, Zayn hands Harry several swatches ranging from various shades of red and blue for his suit jacket.  He can’t decide which color matches him best, and Harry turns to Niall for a final opinion.

“I would have to say, um.  Hmm.  This is tough.”  Niall holds up different swatches on each side of Zayn’s face, making him laugh whenever the fabric tickled his cheeks.  “I don’t know.  Red looks really good on him, but it makes him looks a bit… flashy?  But then I go to blue and he looks brooding.  But then I go back to red––”

“I think we got it!” Harry interjects, putting up his hand to shush Niall.

Zayn smacks Harry’s hand away, annoyed they still haven’t given him an answer.  “Don’t be rude!  Let Niall make his decision!”

“Well, if you’re in such a hurry, then I choose this royal blue right here.”  Niall grabs swatch hiding under a sea of blue fabric, and holds it next to Zayn’s face.  “Look how it brightens your complexion and brings out those big googly eyes you’ve got,” he says with affection, “it’s like you _almost_ look handsome.”

“ _Almost!?_ ” Harry and Zayn shout in unison.

Niall winks at them, waving off their offended expressions that follow him across the room.  Harry takes Zayn into one of the fitting rooms and begins taking his measurements, starting with his arms and waist.  He measures Zayn’s neck, chest, and shoulders as quickly as he can, writing down the appropriate numbers on a small notepad when he’s finished.

“Are you going to tell me what this special event is about or are you going to make me guess?” Harry asks, jotting down a few more notes before he stuffs the notepad into his back pocket.

Zayn takes a seat on the small wooden chair tucked in the corner of the room, and Harry leans back against the adjacent wall, sticking his hands in his pockets waiting for Zayn’s answer.

“The head of the astronomy club decided we should do something really fun with the other school clubs this year, instead of like, the twenty of us camping out in the woods with our telescopes.”

“So what’s going to make this year different than the others?”

“We have to dress up for it.”

“Like a formal dinner?”

“It’s formal, definitely formal,” Zayn nods, “but it’s more like a masquerade ball.”

Harry’s eyes widen and his mouth drops open, leaving Zayn to grin at his response.  “You’re joking!  I’ve always wanted to go to one of those!” he exclaims.  “I mean, how great is that?  Dressing up and wearing masks and dancing with strangers.   _Wow_.  That’s a great time if you ask me.”

“Speaking of strangers,” Zayn scratches behind his ear, showing a slight bit of embarrassment, “I don’t have a date.”

“Don’t want to go alone?”

“Not really,” Zayn shrugs, “but now that you said it––why don’t you go with me?  Be my date!”

“Zayn, come on,” Harry laughs, “are you asking me to go as a friend or like a proper date?”

“Proper friend-date!  You just said you wanted to go, so why don’t we go together?”

“Aww, it’s so kind of you to choose me as a last resort.”

“You’re my first choice, I wouldn’t want anyone else but my best friend,” Zayn grins with pride, making Harry blush in embarrassment.

“Are you going to pay for everything, then?” Harry jokingly asks.

“I’ll go the whole nine yards if you want!” Zayn exclaims, rising from the chair and sliding next to Harry against the wall.  “I’ll get a driver to pick us up, and I’ll buy you a boutonnière to wear with your nice suit, and I’ll even have someone roll out a red carpet so we look like royalty.”

“Oh, see now you’re just going over budget!  I hardly think I’m worth the boutonnière.”

“Harry, you dummy,” Zayn nudges his shoulder.  “You're worth everything.”

Harry continually shakes his head in disagreement, despite Zayn’s whiny pleas and pouting lips in hopes Harry would change his mind.  “Please?” Zayn bats his eyelashes, sporting a pair of big puppy eyes.  “I _reallyreallyreally_ want you to go with me.”

“Why not ask Niall?” Harry teases, stepping away to sit on the wooden chair.  “He’s better arm candy for you, I think.”

Zayn sighs loudly and flops down onto Harry’s lap, making him yelp in pain.  “You need to stop acting like you don’t want to be seen in public,” he points out, draping an arm over Harry’s shoulders.  “But Niall _is_ cute, though.  Don’t be surprised if I end up ditching you to take him at the last minute.”

“You wouldn’t,” Harry says seriously.  “I won’t let you!”

“I will and you can’t stop me!” Zayn says, slicking his hair back with his hand.  “I’ll drive by your flat to show him off just so you know what a big mistake you’re making, and we’ll throw eggs at your front door, and we’ll––”

“All right, all right!  I’ll go to the ball with you,” he says with a grin and Zayn excitedly kisses him on the lips.

“Thank you,” Zayn smiles, snuggling against Harry, “we’re gonna have such a great time.”

Harry tightly hugs Zayn and the two discuss what car to rent when Niall runs into the fitting room, out of breath and looking worried.

“Harry, help!” Niall heaves loudly, holding his chest.  “Boss is trying to move a closet full of sewing machines and––” Niall wheezes when he tries to inhale, and both Harry and Zayn stand up to help him breathe.

“It’s okay, just take a deep breath,” Harry says, rubbing Niall’s back, “tell me what happened.”

“No no, I’m fine, I just ran too quickly,” Niall straightens up, and all three boys immediately duck when a loud BANG! hits the wall in front of them.

“ _Shit!  Harry, I think I’ve done something wrong!_ ” a muffled shout echoes through the walls.

“Uh, I better get going before I miss my next class,” Zayn says worriedly.

Harry rushes Niall and Zayn out of the fitting rooms, and Niall runs back to the counter, nervously biting his nails when he hands Zayn his bag.  Harry follows Zayn out of the shop, hoping to keep him from his boss's stupidity.

“We should go out for lunch later,” Zayn says, hugging Harry again.  “And thanks for being my date, I’d rather have you than anyone else.”

“I’m sorry I was being stubborn, I thought you were just messing with me.”

“You’re so dumb sometimes,” Zayn laughs and Harry gives him a quick peck on the lips.  “I’ll text you the details later!” he says, jumping down the steps of the shop and around the corner to the train station.

Harry lingers in the doorway, wondering what he could do for Zayn after his surprise visit.  The possibilities were endless, considering Zayn’s enthusiasm for anything and everything that seems interesting, but all Harry could think of were the pair of onyx cufflinks in the display window.  Harry doesn’t know why he keeps staring at them, as if he were hypnotized, but his thoughts are cut off when his boss screams for him through the shop’s walls, scaring both Harry and Niall half to death.

Harry quickly shuts the door and runs towards Niall, asking him to set aside the cufflinks while he took care of their boss.  There was no real meaning to them, but Harry wanted to make something out of it, something memorable for Zayn to keep for the masquerade ball.

–

The brochure Harry held in hand reads like an advertisement from the 1950s: “ _For a better future tomorrow, attend Ancens University today!_ ” he says aloud.  Zayn had sent an early morning text to Harry, wishing him a good day at work, and was completely unaware that Harry asked for the day off.  Harry vaguely remembers Zayn’s schedule on Fridays, wondering if he finished his last class before or after lunch.  He was at the university to surprise Zayn, to get a little glimpse of his world, and to also take him out for the day.

Now Harry is in the courtyard of the school, nervously walking around in hopes he didn’t look like a tourist.  He dressed casually for the day, ditching his usual three-piece suit in favor of a dark red button-down shirt, a dark gray pea coat, black jeans and boots with a pair of dark red leather gloves.  The students that walked around pass him like any other person, except Harry has no idea where he’s going, and has no idea how he can get a hold of Zayn without giving away his surprise.

Harry spots a tall cork board across the way from where he stands and quickly walks to it, finding the school map.  He runs his finger along the lower lefthand edge of the thin plexiglass protecting the map, looking for clues on the legend that would somehow lead him to Zayn.  Harry doesn’t know where to start, and decides to begin with a building with the most interesting name: _Ahlquist Tower_.  The red star on the map shows Harry where he stands at the moment, and the area of the tower is in close proximity, leaving Harry slightly relieved when he begins his trek to find Zayn.

The walk to Ahlquist Tower takes a short five minutes, a winding pathway along several brick buildings guides Harry to where he needs to go.  Harry takes note of the endless rose bushes during his walk and he’s amazed when he finds two large green domes, similar to the egg holders his mother gave to him as a housewarming gift a year before.  Using his measuring skills, Harry was sure the observatories must be twenty feet tall with a twelve-foot radius for each dome.  He can’t be too sure about the radius part, but he’s on his day off––he’s allowed to guess once in a while.  A student wearing a pink shirt with a messy bun in her hair passes Harry and he stops her, taking his chances to ask if she knows Zayn.

“Oh, _god yes_ , I know him," she says dreamily, amusing Harry.  "He’s a bit skinny, kind of has like a greaser haircut?”

“Yes!  Yes, that’s Zayn,” Harry exclaims.  “Do you know where I could find him?”

“Um, he might be in the annex of Ahlquist Tower, that building right over there,” she says, pointing at a rectangular four-story building next to the two domes.  “I passed by him earlier, but he might be somewhere else now.”

“Okay, great!  Thanks so much!”

“Wait!” she shouts, holding her hand out to stop Harry from walking away.  “What’s your deal with Zayn?”

“My deal?” Harry asks, slightly offended.  “I’m his best friend, why?”

“So _you’re_ the one he babbles about all the fucking time,” she says under her breath, picking the edges of her textbook.  “Right, well be careful and all that.”

“Careful?  What are you talking about?” Harry asks concerned.  “Is he in trouble?”

“No, it’s just some of the guys here pick on him because he talks a lot.  It’s a war zone.”

“Right,” Harry nods, unconvinced.  “Um, I’ll keep that in mind.  Thanks.”

The girl glares at him before she walks away, and Harry scratches his head, wondering why Zayn never told him he was being hassled at school.  Harry shakes it off and realizes he would have to scour the annex before he could find his friend.  He sighs and walks toward a wooden bench surrounded by white gardenias, unaware someone was shouting his name when he sat down.

“ _Harry!  Harry, up here!  Look up here!  Up here, loser!_ ”

Harry’s looking around now, meerkat-like, searching for whoever was calling for him.  The voice isn’t coming from the observatories, but he slowly scans the annex, spotting a pair of hands waving at him from an open window on the top floor.  Harry immediately recognizes Zayn’s signature hairstyle, and he stands on the bench, waving for him to come down.  Zayn holds his hand out, gesturing for Harry to wait, and runs from the window before he’s on the floor below with someone else, quickly taking a notebook out of his backpack.

Harry watches Zayn speak to his professor––or at least that’s who Harry thinks he might be––and points out of the window in Harry’s direction.  Zayn jots down whatever the professor is telling him, then puts his notebook away and shakes his professor’s hand before he turns back to Harry, giving him a thumbs up.  Harry steps off the bench and sits back down, excitedly waiting for his friend.  Zayn comes rushing through the front doors a few minutes later and Harry legs it, his long gangly limbs give him an advantage to reach Zayn as quickly as possible.  The two friends crash into each other when they hug, and Zayn lifts Harry up by the waist, making him squeal and flail his legs in jest.

“Harry, what are you doing here!” Zayn says, lowering Harry back down.

“I came to visit!  I wanted to surprise you.”

“Well, you did a good job!” Zayn laughs, draping his arm over Harry’s shoulders.  “I can’t believe it, how did you know where to find me?”

“I did a bit of research before I got here," Harry says with a grin, echoing Zayn’s words when they first met.

“I see what you did there,” Zayn snickers.  “I asked my professor if I could leave class early, and now we can go anywhere we want!  Nice to see you out of your suit, you look really good!  Your gloves make you look like a cute hitman, I mean it.”

Harry shakes his head, putting his head down to hide his flushed cheeks.  Zayn ruffles Harry’s curls, then picks off some lint from his shirt, making him look presentable again.  “Zayn, I hate that this is the first thing I’m going to ask but,” Harry hesitates for a moment, “are you getting picked on?”

“I am?  Who said that?” Zayn asks, surprised.

“Just a girl I met right now.  She told me she’s seen you get picked on by some guys and––”

“Wait, did this girl have messy hair and she’s wearing pink all over?”

“Yeah, how did you know?”

Zayn laughs loudly, then grimaces in annoyance.  “Oh god, I was hoping you wouldn’t ever meet her,” he sighs loudly.  “Her name’s Donna, she has a weird crush on me." 

"Aww, have you got a secret admirer?" Harry teases, batting his eyelashes at Zayn.

"Shut up!” Zayn blushes, playfully pushing him away.  “She's really rude to anyone that talks or looks at me during class," he says with a scrunched face.  "I try to avoid her but she always finds a way to corner me and ask me the stupidest things, she’s a bit scary."

Zayn shudders and Harry laughs at him, amused by the fact that Zayn has his very own fangirl.  "How come you never told me about her?" he asks curiously.  “She mentioned you talk about me all the time.”

"Why talk about anyone else when I’ve got you?" Zayn replies with a smile.

"You need to stop that," Harry laughs, nudging Zayn’s stomach.

"I do it because I love you," Zayn says, kissing Harry on the cheek.  "But anyway, there are some guys I mess with in class for a good laugh, and it’s just banter like what we do at the shop, you know?  I mean, I’ve met some absolute dickheads here, but they were never bullies.  I can take care of myself.”

"Good, 'cause I'd go mad if someone was hassling you and you didn't tell me."

"My very own bodyguard!" Zayn laughs, tugging on Harry’s arm.  "Let's walk around, I've been sitting in a chair all morning and my butt hurts."

They take no more than three steps when Zayn's phone chimes in his jeans, making him jump in surprise.  He takes it out, reading a message that leaves him uneasy.  "What is it?  Is everything okay?" Harry asks worriedly.

Zayn furiously taps on his phone, then looks around, frantically spinning in a circle.  "Fuck!  My friend said Donna is spying on us right now."

"What!?  How?" Harry panics, "I saw her walking the other way!"

"I'm friends with one of the audio-visual guys here, he said the cameras caught Donna following you around.  She's hiding in the corner of the physics department across from us––oh god, it never ends with this girl!"

"What should we do?  I’m not going to stand here all day, I wanted to take you out for lunch!"

"Did you, really?" Zayn squeals, jumping up and down a little when Harry nods.  "Okay, I have an idea, just follow my lead."

Zayn wiggles his hand for Harry to take, and they set off towards the school courtyard in a flash.  Harry looks around for any sign of Donna, and Zayn pulls on his arm, quickly shuffling towards a side entrance of the school.  Zayn checks his phone and Harry looks over, reading the giant letters across the screen: _NINE O’CLOCK!!  RUN!_

“What does that mean?  Is she nearby?” Harry asks, trailing behind.

"She’s heading straight to our left, we need to start running!"

They split up when a crowd of students enter the school, quickly running around them and down the long flight of stairs of the side entrance.  A pair of quick footsteps trails near them and Zayn lets out a squeak, imploring Harry to run even faster.  They seem to be in the clear until Donna jumps in front of them, making both of them scream when they reach the last step.

"Hi, Zayn!" Donna squeals out of breath, clearly having taken a different route to cut off them off at the right time.  "Fancy running into you here!"

"Uh, hey… Donna…" Zayn says with disdain.

"What are you doing here?  Are you going out for lunch?  Do you need a lunch buddy?"

"Uh no, I’m done for the day.”  Zayn takes a step off the sidewalk, raising his hand to call for a taxi driving nearby.

“Oh, you’re not going to your astrometry class today?  It’s barely half past twelve, doesn’t your class end in an hour?”

“How the hell do you know what time my class ends?” Zayn says in shock, and Harry stifles his laughter, amused by Donna’s desperation.

“Are you leaving school to spend time with this––” she eyes Harry up and down, clearly annoyed by his presence, “this giant?”

“I didn’t ask to be a bloody telephone pole,” Harry feigns offense.

“Taxi’s here!  Bye!” Zayn shouts as it pulls up.  Harry quickly opens the door and climbs in first, scooting over when Zayn shuts the door.  Harry’s eyes widen when Donna runs up to the car, and Zayn leans back against Harry in fear, her stare so powerful that Harry thought she was burning a hole right through each of their foreheads.

“Where to?” the taxi driver asks.  “Is she coming along?”

“You can’t leave, Zayn,” Donna threatens, putting her sweaty hands to the window.  “You’ll get in trouble and I’m going to tell your professor what you’re doing.”

“Harry, do something!”

“Radford Tea House, punch it!” Harry shouts.

“On it, lads!”  The driver steps on the gas and quickly swerves into traffic, throwing Harry and Zayn to the other side of the car and scrambling to get off of each other.

“Jesus, I meant drive away, not launch us out of the car!” Harry shouts, pushing Zayn away.  “You’re squashing my nuts, Zayn, get off!”

“That girl’s gone mental, look at her go!” the driver says over his shoulder.  “I’ve never seen anyone run that fast!”

Harry looks out of the back window, and finds Donna chasing after the taxi at a steady speed.  “Holy shit, she’s right behind us!  You’ve got to drive faster!”  The driver switches gears and revs the engine, but the car continues to drive at the same speed as before.

"You're not going any faster!" Zayn cries out.

"Unless you're Ron Weasley in that magic car, I can't fly this thing over traffic!" the driver replies annoyed.

Zayn whines in fear and immediately sinks into his seat, reclining his body until he looked like a limp sausage.  He pulls out a necklace from under his shirt, mumbling under his breath while he rubbed a blue marble-sized pendant between his fingers.  Harry’s still watching Donna run after the cab until she nearly crashes into a cyclist, effectively losing sight of the boys when the taxi makes a right turn.

Harry turns to face the front of the car, then nudges Zayn’s thigh with his knee.  “Is she gone?  Please tell me she’s gone,” Zayn says with his eyes closed and hands folded in prayer.

“Yeah, you can sit up now, we’ll be okay.”

“That was scary, she’s never done that before,” Zayn takes a deep breath, adjusting himself to sit upright.

“If she went any faster she could have opened the door and pulled you out!” Harry bursts out laughing and Zayn punches him in the leg, annoyed by his attitude.

“It isn’t funny!  You’re a crap friend if you let her get near me!”

“Oh come now, I was just teasing!”

“Yeah, well, you still suck,” Zayn huffs, crossing his arms when Harry tries to rest his head on Zayn’s shoulder.  Zayn shrugs him off trying to show his defiance, and Harry walks two fingers along Zayn’s arm and across his shoulder, tickling his neck to get him to stop pouting.

“Stop it, I’m mad at you.”  Harry tickles Zayn’s ear, almost making him smile.  “Fuck off, stop tickling me!”

“Aww, you l’il grumpy grump,” Harry giggles, making kissing noises, “you love me ‘cause I got you out of class.”

Zayn finally breaks into a grin, but still keeps his arms crossed, pretending to be unfazed when his stomach growls loudly.  “I’ll love you when you get me a taro slush with those massive tapioca balls and a tomato mozzarella panini,” he says nonchalantly, then turns his head with a glare, “and it better be _grilled_.”

“Whatever baby wants, baby gets,” Harry coos, and Zayn laughs, leaning over to fit his head in the crook of Harry’s neck.  Harry looks out of the window for the rest of the ride, then splits the fare with Zayn when the taxi reaches their destination.  Zayn looks around before he gets out of the car, just to make sure Donna wasn’t around, despite Harry telling him the coast is clear.

“I’m ready for that panini now,” Zayn says, closing the door for Harry when he gets out.  “Nice and toasty and melty,” Zayn lets out a squeal, playfully shimmying his shoulders.

“Come on, darling,” Harry says, walking towards the tea house, “let’s get you fed.”

–

The white lights of Radford Tea House lead the way to the front counter, its black wood paneling surrounding all four walls, making the place bright and spacious.  Harry’s been to this place several times and usually orders the same thing (chicken caesar salad with extra croutons, hold the anchovies), but decides to try something else for Zayn’s sake.

“Anything I want?” Zayn asks, looking at the menu above the counter.

“Go for it, it’s my treat.”

“Even the most expensive thing on the menu?”

Harry shakes his head in amusement, smiling at Zayn's goofy grin while he takes off his gloves and stuffs them in his coat pocket.  They stand in line behind a couple when they're ready to order, and Zayn excitedly bounces in place, clearly enjoying his time away from class.  When it's their turn to finally order, Zayn uses his student discount, saving Harry a few extra bills for cab fare.  Zayn orders his favorite panini, and Harry goes for a toasted spicy roast beef sandwich.

They sit at a table against a wall, giving them enough room to talk quietly in the half-full dining area.  A server hands the boys their drinks: a large glass of floral iced tea for Harry and a large taro slush with tapioca balls for Zayn.  Harry stirs his drink with a straw, leaning over to take a small sip.  The sweet honey hits Harry's tastebuds first before the floral notes hit the back of his throat and leave him satisfied.  Zayn asks for a taste test, and Harry leans over the table, holding out the straw for him to drink.  Zayn bats his eyes at Harry the entire time he's taking a sip, and Harry bats his eyelashes back at him, making Zayn blush in embarrassment.

"You haven't gotten your mask yet, have you?" Zayn asks, unwrapping the abnormally large straw for his slush.  "I saw some really cool ones online, I think we should get ours custom made."

"We shouldn’t get anything too expensive, I don’t mind getting regular ones from a fancy dress shop."

"There is no way we're wearing cheap masks, not when my dad's going to pay for everything.  I mean, you want to make this ball memorable don't you?"

"Well, yes of course, but––"

"Don't be so proud, man!" Zayn interjects.  "I said I'd take care of you, didn't I?  Dad knows we're dates!"

"Yeah, but you need to understand your father is still a client for the shop.  I don't want him to think I'm taking advantage of you to get a pay raise or anything."

Zayn sighs, then puts his hand over Harry's on the table, squeezing it for reassurance.  "Forget about that, okay?" he says softly.  "This is for us.  Not just as dates, but as friends.  Best mates."  Harry reluctantly nods his head in agreement, but he's still wary, still feels bad that he might have guilt tripped Zayn into doing all of this for him.

"Don't give me that look," Zayn laughs, "the one where you look like a confused kitten."

"I'm not confused!" Harry grumbles.  "I'm just being cautious, okay?"

"Yeah yeah, fine," Zayn rolls his eyes.  "But you'll order a mask with me?"

Harry hesitates to answer and Zayn begins pouting his lips.  "Oh god, not again!" Harry says with a laugh.  "Why do you always do that puppy face to get me to do things with you?"

"Because I'm the only one who can hit all your soft spots," Zayn giggles, taking a sip of his drink.  "Squishy, squishy Harry!  See look, this is you right now," Zayn blows out his cheeks and pokes at them, making Harry crack up.

“Where’s the ball taking place again?  I know you sent me the details, but I forgot the name.”

“Eidem Hall!” Zayn exclaims.  “One of my classmates said she’s been there and it’s a huge mansion on a hill that the owners put up to rent for wedding receptions and big events like the ball.”

“Sounds like a place full of secret passages.”

“We could go spelunking!” Zayn says with a laugh.  “I’ll bring us some helmets with flashlights on ‘em and we’ll explore the place together.”

Their server comes back with two plates, handing each of them their orders with extra napkins and utensils.  "Have you ever seen anything so melty!?" Zayn whispers loudly, pulling the cut pieces of the panini apart to see the melted strings of mozzarella stretch like an accordion.  Zayn links the pieces back together, then twirls the hanging bits of cheese with his index finger, breaking it off and eating it in one go before he takes the first bite of his sandwich.

Harry and Zayn quietly eat their food for several minutes, occasionally nicking chips and crisps from each other's plates.  When they're both down to the last half of their sandwiches, Zayn asks how Harry managed to get the day off, considering he practically lives in the shop during the week.

"I don't take that many sick days," Harry shrugs.  "It's about time I got a day off away from measuring things, don't you think?"

"Have you ever measured your cock?" Zayn asks nonchalantly, and Harry freezes in his seat, looking at the other patrons that heard him.  "Oh, I said that out loud didn't I," he says sheepishly.

"No, it's okay, we're both adults, right?" Harry asks, and Zayn nods in agreement.  "I haven't measured it in a while, but I really doubt it's gotten any longer in the last two years."

Zayn bursts out laughing, then quietly confesses he's measured his own, too.  "How are you supposed to measure it anyway?  Flaccid?  Erect?  Carbon dating?"

"It's how you use it, isn't it?"

"Yeah well, not like I've had much use for mine in a while.  Not after my ex-girlfriend, anyway."  Zayn’s jaw tenses, and he looks a lot angrier than before, an unusual mood for Harry to see on his friend.

"Do you want to talk about it?  It's okay if you don't," Harry assures him.

"No, I might as well tell you now," Zayn sighs.  He puts his elbow up to the table, then rests his hand under his chin.  "My ex was an all right girl, but when she found out my ex before her was a guy…" Zayn scratches the back of his head, and leans back in his seat.  "She freaked out and started talking this big game about how many other guys she fucked before me, and how I wasn't worthy of any pussy if I'd stuck my dick up someone's ass before her, blah blah blah,” Zayn angrily flicks away a stray piece of lettuce, then shakes his head in disappointment.  “It was all so stupid, to be honest, I should have seen it coming.”

Harry's jaw drops, and blinks at Zayn in utter shock.  "Talk about insecure, did she think you would run back to him or something?  Exes are always such a touchy subject anyway,” Harry shakes his head, now looking just as disappointed as Zayn.

“Will you tell me about yours?  I know I’ve never asked you before.”

“I don’t have too many, really.  Just two ex-girlfriends and a weird one-night stand.”

“Why was it weird?  Did you forget how to put the tip in?”  Zayn cracks up at his own joke, then covers his mouth when Harry kicks his foot under the table.

“The sex was amazing, like literally almost _unreal_ ,” he says, biting his lip in response.  “The only reason it was weird is ‘cause I found out the woman’s husband is a client at the shop,” Harry shudders, and Zayn gasps in horror.  “He walked in and I said hi, but as soon as I saw her I panicked.”

“Oh my god, so what happened?” Zayn asks excitedly.  “Did she try to act like it was nothing?”

“I actually ran to the toilets and waited until she left.  She has no idea I work there and I hope it stays that way.”

Zayn claps as he laughs, then leans against his hand on the table, smiling at Harry.  “I’ve had three ex-girlfriends and one ex-boyfriend,” he says with a nod.  “It’s a good number, I think.”

“Only one?” Harry asks with a giggle.

“Were you expecting five?” Zayn laughs, sticking his tongue out at Harry.  “No, but that was a really good relationship, that one.  I’m sad it ended because he had to move away and I don’t think I’ll meet anyone else like him for a long time.”  Zayn sighs, keeping quiet for a moment when he softly asks, “What about you?  Have you ever had feelings for a guy?”

Harry bites his lip, rapping his fingers on the table to think.  “Gimme a sec, I’m trying to remember,” he says, furrowing his brow.  “There was a boy at school all the guys made fun of… I can’t remember his name for the life in me, but they always shouted ‘pretty boy’ at him ‘cause he was actually _really_ pretty,” he says with a laugh.  “Shame if he didn’t age well.”

“Aww, I bet you wanted to kiss him, didn’t you?” Zayn asks teasingly, making Harry burst out laughing.  “If I were you, I’m confident I’d have kissed him the first chance I got.  If he didn’t punch me in the face after.”

“Well, I was quite confident in getting you as my best mate,” Harry says with a wink, and Zayn grins widely.

“Best mates on a date!” he says out loud, then holds up his drink for a toast.  “A toast to us, Harry!”

Harry holds up his glass with Zayn, smiling when he says, “A toast to my best mate, my play mate, and my soulmate.”

“Soul mates?” Zayn says softly, his eyes becoming brighter by the second.  “I can _definitely_ drink to that,” he grins, then clinks his glass against Harry’s, and take a large swig of their drinks.

“What do you say we head on home?” Harry asks, and Zayn nods his head, gathering all of his things.  They head out of the restaurant together, and walk along the sidewalk for a minute until a car horn blares across from where they stand.  A silver Jaguar pulls up, and Zayn tugs on Harry’s arm, crossing the street together.

"It's my dad’s car!"  Zayn says over his shoulder.  Zayn excitedly greets the driver when he steps out, then opens the back seat when none other than Mr. Malik emerges, looking as sharp as ever in his light grey double breasted suit.  Harry would know––he did tailor it for the man after all.

“Hey, Dad!”

“Ah, Zayn!” he says, giving his son a hug before he notices Harry standing nearby.  "Why, Harry!  What a nice surprise!” he exclaims, happily greeting him with a handshake.  “Nice to see you out of your work clothes, I’ve never seen you this casual."

"Thanks, Mr. Malik," Harry says with a smile.  Zayn wraps his arm around Harry, excitedly giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"So I see you’ve started kissing him," Mr. Malik says with a laugh.

"Aw, come on!" Zayn whines.  “Harry doesn’t mind!  He even does it to me.”

"Yes, well do keep it to a minimum, we’re in public," he smiles, shaking his head, then turns to face Harry.  “So!  Zayn tells me you’ll be going to the ball with him next week?”

“Yes, that’s correct,” Harry grins, pulling Zayn closer to him.  “Best mates on a date!”

“Then I’m sure he told you I’d take care of everything, yes?”

“Oh, you don’t have to––”

“Don’t be so proud, Harry!” Mr. Malik snorts, practically echoing Zayn.  “You’re allowed to indulge once in a while, take advantage of it!”

“See?” Zayn grins, nudging Harry with his elbow.  Harry playfully rolls his eyes, but he’s still reluctant to accept Mr. Malik’s generous offer.

"What brings you here, Dad?  Are you on business?"

"Yup!  Need to meet with some backers for a deal, the whole standard operating procedure," Mr. Malik waves his hand around, showing his slight annoyance.

Harry casually checks the time on his watch, prompting Mr. Malik to ask, "Do you need a ride home?  You seem like you need to be somewhere."

"No, it's okay, I was going to take a taxi––"

"Yes!  He definitely needs a ride home," Zayn interjects, smacking Harry's ass to walk towards the car when he tries to protest.  They climb inside and Harry’s instantly amazed by the white leather seats and light orange smell that fills his nostrils.  Mr. Malik tells the driver to take Harry and Zayn home, then come right back to pick him up in two hours.  Zayn presses a button for the window to roll down, and the two boys wave goodbye as soon as the car starts.

"All right boys, I'll see you later!"

"See you soon, Mr. Malik!  Oh, and don’t forget to pick up your suits tomorrow,” Harry adds with smile.

“I knew I could count on you, Harry,” he laughs.  “Now go on home, get some rest!”

– 

The drive back home is quiet, and Harry finds himself falling asleep with the droning engine of the Jaguar.  Zayn shakes him awake several minutes later when they reach the block of flats in Harry’s neighborhood.  The driver opens the door for Harry and Zayn, and they both walk towards the short staircase leading to the quaint three-story building of Harry's flat.

"I can’t thank you enough for taking me out today, it was fun ditching class for once," Zayn grins.

"Good!  That’s why I came out to see you," Harry laughs, rubbing Zayn's arm.

“I’ve always wanted to ditch at least one session, but if I do, I just miss out on so much in three hours."

“I’ve forgotten what that’s like,” Harry sighs, then motions with his head to point in the direction of the doorway.  “Do you want to come up for a bit?  I'll show you my place."

Zayn asks the driver to hang out for several minutes, then follows Harry to the front door.  Harry unlocks and opens the bottom latch, letting Zayn step inside first before they walk up three short flights of stairs to Harry's front door.  Harry fumbles a bit for his keys, mumbling to himself before he finds the correct one, and unlocks two different latches.  He struggles to open the door, forgetting he has to lift and tug the door knob before he can get inside.  Harry holds out his hand for Zayn to welcome him, and smiles when Zayn is amazed by the small, but clean space Harry calls home.

"Wow, this is really nice!  It’s so clean unlike my bedroom," Zayn snorts, running his hand across the bookshelf against the wall.  He mouths a few of the book titles to himself, then fingers through the dvd collection on the shelf below.  "Oh, should I take my shoes off?" he asks worriedly, "I don't want to mess up your floor or anything."

"You can leave them on unless you plan on crashing for the night," Harry laughs, walking to his refrigerator to grab a drink.  He holds up a water bottle for Zayn, but he shakes his head, indicating he’s fine.

"You’d let me sleep over tonight?" Zayn asks excitedly.  "I mean, if that's okay with you and all,” he shrugs, “I don't have any of my clothes and stuff with me right now anyway."

"You can borrow my pyjamas if you want.  Oh, but fair warning, they’ve got little penguins on them.”

“Emperors, adelies, chinstraps, and rockhoppers!” Zayn exclaims with pride.  “My youngest sister loves penguins, that’s why I know the names,” he laughs with a shrug.  "Let me deal with the driver first, and then I'll tell my dad.  This is gonna be so great!"

–

Later that night, Harry takes Zayn to the roof of his flat where they enjoy a Chinese takeaway dinner for two, and snuggle under a large blanket to keep themselves warm.  Zayn points at the night sky, telling Harry which constellations can be seen with the naked eye and how they got their names.  Harry asks Zayn which constellation is his favorite, and Zayn simply shakes his head, amazed that he never thought he could be connected to something so bright.

“Zayn, do you know…” Harry pauses, looking at the sky, “every night before I go to bed, I look at the stars?  I never did that until we became friends.”  Harry doesn’t look away, but he can tell Zayn is fascinated.  “I don’t know all the names like you do, but I look up and think: ‘That’s where my best friend wants to visit one day.  This is what he lives for.’” Harry smiles, feeling content, then turns his head to look at Zayn, whose eyes were welling up with tears.  “Hey, what’s wrong?  Why are you crying?”

Zayn wipes his eyes, letting out a soft laugh.  “No, it’s just,” Zayn sniffles, “no one’s ever said to me before––that they think of me when they look at the stars.”

“Why wouldn’t they?  There’s so many of them, how could someone look up and not think of you?”

Zayn sniffles a little louder, and Harry sits closer to him, wrapping the blanket around them even tighter.  “I’ll always think of you when I look up there.  Maybe you’ll even have a star named after you.”

Zayn laughs, then quickly wipes away his tears.  “Would it be too much to ask if I could kiss you?”

Harry automatically leans into Zayn, giving him a quick kiss like he’s done many times before.  But Zayn shakes his head, softly massaging the back of Harry’s neck.  “No, I mean, a _real_ kiss,” Zayn whispers, looking in Harry’s eyes.  “Just this once, and I’ll never ask you again.”

“Of course.  Even if you ask again, you know I’ll say yes.”

Zayn quickly leans in and presses his lips to Harry’s, keeping still for a moment before they slowly pull away from each other.  Harry opens his eyes, but Zayn keeps his closed, his breath stuttering when he exhales.  Harry brushes his thumb along Zayn’s jaw, then softly over his lips where Zayn lightly kisses it.  Zayn leans a little closer to Harry, breathing in the remaining woodsy notes of his cologne.  Harry brushes his lips against Zayn’s and they kiss again, slower this time, and Zayn moans into Harry’s mouth when he feels the slight brush of tongue against his.  Now Harry understands what it is that Zayn wants to feel.  A sense of closure, the feeling of reassurance from someone he loves.

Harry lets out a small laugh when Zayn pulls away, and continues pecking Harry on the lips a few more times.  “That was perfect,” he smiles, “thank you, Harry.”

“Would you do the same for me if I asked?” Harry asks, rubbing his reddened lips between his fingers.

“Of course I would!” he exclaims.  “Even if you asked me for a hand job I’d do it because I love you.”

“And I love you even more,” Harry says earnestly.  “You know I’d give you one, too, right?”

“You better!” Zayn laughs, leaning into snorgle Harry’s neck.  “Blow jobs are reserved for special occasions, but we can discuss that later, obviously.”

Harry cackles when he stands up, holding his hand out for Zayn to take when they walk back to his flat.  On their way down the stairs, they talk about the ball and its imminent arrival nearly a week away.  Zayn reminds Harry they still need to order their custom masks, and the two spend the next hour in front of Harry’s laptop, placing their orders on a website that specializes in masquerade attire.

Zayn orders an ivory white mask, complete with bronzed snakes lining its edges.  The mask Harry settles on is black, and lined with bronzed laurel leaves to match Zayn’s snakes.  All Harry needs now is a suit to wear and he reminds himself it can’t be something he usually wears to work.  Zayn is set on making an impression, and Harry is more than willing to help.

An hour after Zayn falls asleep, Harry sneaks back into the living room to get to his laptop, and makes one last purchase for the ball.  It wasn’t something he could physically take with him, but he knows it will be something Zayn will appreciate.  Something worth remembering for the rest of his life.

–

Police sirens blare through the windows of the bedroom, and Harry wakes up completely disoriented by the sound.  He covers his ears with his pillows, hoping to drown out the noise, but it never lets up and Harry groans when he decides to finally get out of bed.  Harry heads to his bathroom to relieve himself and brush his teeth, fixing his messy hair with his fingers to flatten it down to a manageable height.

Harry shared his queen-sized bed with Zayn for the night, refusing to let him sleep on the tiny sofa.  Zayn seemed to be a heavy sleeper, never stirring when Harry would turn over to sleep on a different side of his body.  Harry can’t tell if Zayn hogs the blanket, considering he gave Zayn a separate one for himself so they wouldn’t fight for equal warmth.  Harry fixes his bed, then quickly does his series of sit-ups and push-ups.  He jumps to his feet when he’s done, shaking off the aches and pains before he reaches for the bedroom door, and shouts when he’s met with Zayn standing in front of him.

“Oh, sorry!  I didn’t meant to scare you,” Zayn says worriedly.  “I made you breakfast, though!  And don’t worry about me, I got us some extra food from the market nearby.”  Zayn holds out a small bowl of oatmeal topped with apple slices, its warm cinnamon smell making Harry float on air.

“My favorite!  How did you know?”

“Well, you only have about ten boxes of them in your pantry, I had quite the decision to make.”

Harry laughs when he takes the bowl from Zayn, then walks with him to the kitchen.  “Did you sleep well?”

“The best I’ve had in a while,” Zayn smiles.  “Are you aware that you snore?  Rather loudly, by the way.”

Harry nods his head, eating large spoonfuls of his breakfast.  “I sleep with my mouth open as well, my mum took a picture once as proof.”

“I wouldn’t know about that since I was facing away from you,” Zayn says, pushing a mug of tea across the tiny counter.  “But it’s nice to know you wake up with a boner, too!  One time, I woke up with one and my mum came in and I flipped over in bed and––”

Harry chokes on his food, covering his mouth to keep it from spraying everywhere.  “Zayn, I'm still eating!”

“Sorry,” he giggles, “but I’m just going to say I really thought I’d broken my willy, I heard a crunch and everything.”

“Aww, your poor penis, all smashed up like a can of beans,” Harry says sadly before he bursts out laughing.  Zayn rolls his eyes at Harry, then tries to tickle him when he drinks his tea.

After Harry’s finished eating, they spend the next hour chatting, and watching television on the sofa.  Harry wraps his arm around Zayn when he leans back, resting his head against Harry’s chest the entire time.  Zayn amuses himself by walking his fingers along Harry’s arm, much like what Harry did to him the day before.

“What would you be doing right now if we weren’t friends?”

Harry makes a hesitant whine, and shrugs before he answers.  “I’d probably be right here,” he taps the back of the sofa, “doing what we’re doing right now.”

“Bumming around on a Saturday morning?” Zayn giggles, and lightly nips at Harry’s arm.  “I’m glad we met,” Zayn says, sitting up to face Harry.  “I’ve had lots of friends, but none of them were like you.  They weren’t as tolerant of my…” Zayn pauses, looking for the right word, “my enthusiasm!  Yeah, that’s the word: _enthusiasm_.”

“I don’t think I’ve met anyone as happy as you are.  You’re like the sun baby in the Teletubbies.”

“Aww,” Zayn blushes, hiding his smile, “you’re that weird vacuum that doesn’t really do anything.”

“You’re terrible!” Harry laughs, pushing Zayn away from him.  “We’re not friends anymore!”

The two begin to play fight, wrestling against each other on the small sofa.  Harry shoves Zayn toward the arm of the tiny couch, the weight of his body crushing Zayn who begins to yell and wildly buck his hips under Harry.  Zayn laughs uncontrollably trying to get Harry off of him, clearly losing his strength when Harry holds his arms over his head, and finally lets Harry win when he can no longer fight back.

“Yes!  I am number one!” Harry shouts, pumping his fist in the air.

“Okay, you can get off now!” Zayn whines, pushing Harry off of him.

Harry kneels down to pick up the cushions that fell off during their fight, complaining about Zayn messing up his flat when he stops mid-sentence to place them back on the sofa.  Zayn snatches a cushion from Harry’s hand and bops him over the head, starting a pillow fight.  They go back and forth at each other, laughing and shouting as they swing the cushions around, hitting random body parts as hard as they can without doing any real damage.

Harry tries to run away when he hits Zayn’s face a little too hard, and Zayn grabs him by the waist, spinning Harry around once before they fall backward onto the sofa.  Harry scrambles to get off of Zayn and leans over too quickly, finding himself bent over Zayn’s knee.  A hard slap echoes through Harry’s ears before he feels a rush of pain that lands on his ass.

“Zayn, what are you doing!” Harry laughs breathlessly, and Zayn smacks his ass even harder.  Harry squeals, flails his arms and legs, tries to rock himself off, but Zayn’s hand strikes down over Harry’s buttcheeks a few more times, making him wheeze with laughter.  Zayn lightly pats Harry’s ass when he’s done, and Harry rolls off, accidentally taking Zayn with him when he lands on his back.

“Can I tell you something I’ve never told anyone before?” Zayn asks, his face hovering a few inches above Harry.

“Of course, you can tell me anything.”

“Well, see, um,” Zayn opens his mouth, then quickly closes it, his cheeks turning red when he looks away.  “No, I can’t, it’s too embarrassing.”

“You just spanked me twenty times in a row, I’m pretty sure what you’re about to say isn’t as weird.”

“Yeah, but I was putting some manners in you,” Zayn cackles, lying down next to Harry.  “You’re a naughty, naughty boy.”

“Oh, come on then,” Harry nudges him, “tell me your big secret.”

“Okay, well… it was with my first girlfriend, Lorrine.  She um, had this huge couch in her house, and…” Zayn takes a deep breath, twisting the hem of his t-shirt before he continues.  “I was just sitting there, watching a bit of telly, having a good time, and then she came in and sort of crawled next to me and… and she…” Zayn stops himself, biting his lip when he turns to face Harry.

“What happened?  What did she do?”

“She said, ‘Can I sit here, daddy?’, and I-I don’t know what came over me!  My head sort of exploded and we were having sex on that couch and she just kept calling me ‘daddy’, I just…” Zayn swallows hard, then puts a hand to his chest.  “Oh god, I felt so weak hearing her say that, but I felt like Mr. Universe when I made her come.”

Harry can’t stop himself from laughing, amused that Zayn would tell him the story of his deepest, darkest sexual fetish after a play fight.  “I’m glad you trust me enough to tell me this,” Harry says as he props himself up with his elbows.  “I wish I had a sex story as interesting as yours, all I can offer was my cock going flaccid when my ex asked me to call her ‘mummy’.”

“Was she quite serious!” Zayn quips in a high-pitched voice.  “That sort of thing is either potentially kinky or potentially traumatic and it's usually the latter.  But it’s there... lurking in the back of my mind, waiting to be unleashed.”

“So ask me to say it, see how it feels.”

“You’re a tease,” Zayn says with his goofy grin.  "Would you say it now?"

“Go on, then,” Harry winks at him, “give us a kiss, daddy.”

–

Harry stands in the fitting room of the shop, his back facing the mirror as he meticulously tucks in his white polka-dotted dress shirt under his work trousers.  The ball is four days away, and Harry’s finally picked a suit to wear: a dark gray two-piece suit, a white and blue polka-dotted shirt, and a royal blue waistcoat to match Zayn’s suit jacket.  He turns to face the mirror when Niall comes up from behind, holding open the waistcoat for Harry to slip into.  Harry moves it around, making sure it hangs over his shoulders, then buttons it up before he smooths out the fabric.  He tugs various parts of the hem with his fingers, checking for any loose strands of thread he might have missed when he altered it to his liking.

“You look great,” Niall says, standing next to Harry.  “I like that you chose to match with Zayn.”

“Thanks,” he says with a smile, “but Zayn will look fifty times better.”

“Just take the compliment, Harry,” Niall snorts, plucking off a piece of lint from Harry’s collar.  “You’re gonna blow everyone away.”

Niall steps aside and holds out the suit jacket, letting Harry slip his arms into the sleeves before adjusting it to his shoulders.  Harry hunches over, squeezing his arms like that of a body builder to test the jacket’s durability.  It stays taut, and Harry does a slight shimmy to get the jacket in place again.  Harry notices Niall’s contemplative stare in the mirror, the corner of his lip curled with a slight dimple emerging from his left cheek.

“What’s up, Niall?  Something on your mind?”

“Not really,” he replies, shaking his head.  “You don’t have to answer, but I just wanted to know if you and Zayn are boyfriends.”

Harry lets out a laugh and turns to face Niall.  “I know the way we act makes it seem that way, but no, we’re not.”

“I’ve never seen anyone as touchy-feely as you two,” he says with a raised eyebrow.  “It’s hard not to look away, to be honest.”

“If it’s of any help, Zayn thinks you’re pretty cute.”  Niall’s eyes grow a little wider and he looks away, slightly embarrassed but obviously flattered.  “So I see you think the same,” Harry snickers.

“When he looks the way he does?  I mean, don't get me wrong––I love eating pussy, but Zayn is just…” Niall whistles when he exhales, shaking his head in disbelief.  “Man.  What I wouldn’t give to suck his dick.  And you know, he’d return the favor too–– _oh god!_  Please don’t tell him I said that.  Or my girlfriend, she’d go mental.”

Harry bursts out laughing, making Niall blush again.  “I’m sorry, I promise I’m not laughing at you.”

“Yeah, well, we’ll see who gets the last laugh when you and Zayn fuck at the ball.”

“Hey, don’t change the subject from blowing Zayn to watching him fuck me!”

“Oh, shut up!” Niall squeaks, and covers his pink cheeks with his hands when Harry laughs again.  “Has Zayn’s dad picked up his suit yet?” he asks, changing the subject.

“Yeah, it should be on the rolling rack behind the counter.”

“I’ll leave you to get changed then.  I'm on break if you need me!”  Niall waves, then steps out of the fitting room.

Harry undresses and changes back into his regular work clothes, hanging his suit in a garment bag, and zips it up when he leaves the room.  He hangs the bag onto a rolling rack, making sure his and Zayn’s suits were at the very front.  The shop door opens when he turns around, finding Zayn rushing towards him with a medium-sized box in his hands.

“Harry, our masks arrived!” Zayn squeals, setting the box onto the counter.  “I didn’t want to open it without you, so I brought it here.”

“Let’s tear it open then!” Harry exclaims.

Zayn rips the tape off the box, and takes a deep breath before he opens the flaps.  He reaches inside, moving the packing peanuts around before he stops, and looks up at Harry in awe.  “Oh Harry, they’re beautiful!  Absolutely stunning,” he says in amazement.  Harry bites lip in anticipation, and holds his breath when Zayn pulls out the first mask.

“ _Whoa!_ ” Harry exclaims, running his finger along the coiled bronzed snakes.  “These are even better than what we saw online!”

“Look at yours!  I honestly thought these were wings!”  Zayn hands Harry his mask, completely speechless at the amazing detail of the bronzed laurels.

“These are going to look so good with our suits, I can’t wait to show them off at the ball,” Zayn says, lifting his mask to his face and tying its silk ribbon around his head.  “Wow, this is great!  Try yours on, don’t leave me looking like a knob.”

Harry carefully places the mask over his face, then leans back to securely tie the silk ribbon without it falling off.  He looks around, trying to get a feel of the slightly heavy plastic over his face, and smiles when he faces Zayn.  They head to the fitting rooms to see themselves in the mirror, standing up a little straighter when they adjust the masks again.

“These were definitely worth the price tag!” Zayn exclaims, carefully touching the coiled snakes around his forehead.  “Think we can keep wearing these after the ball?”

“Maybe we can wear it to some sort of freaky underground sex club,” Harry laughs, taking his mask off.  He rubs the bridge of his nose for relief, then scrunches his face to get it back to normal.  Zayn’s taking off his mask when Harry looks up, noticing his hesitant expression.

“You all right, Zayn?”

“Better than ever,” he says with a smile.  “It’s just I kind of got you something else to wear.”

“You didn’t!  I got you something, too!”

“Did you, really?  Do you have it with you?”

“Stay here, I’ll get it right now.”

Harry zooms to the front counter and takes out his keys, opening a locked drawer, and searches for the cufflinks he’d asked Niall to set aside a while back.  Harry had them engraved with Zayn’s initials into the onyx material with gold paint, making it a personal gift.  It would have cost Harry a fortune to get it done, but with his boss’s connections to various jewelers, he was able to get it for free.

Harry runs back into the fitting room holding the black velvet box in his hands, and Zayn turns to face him, holding a small red box with a black ribbon on top.  They hand each other their gifts, and do a short countdown before they open them together.

“Whoa, what is this!” Zayn exclaims, enamored with the gold engravings.  “Holy crap, it’s got my initials, this is amazing!”

“Is this a ring?” Harry asks, completely taken aback by the sterling silver material.  A rectangular onyx stone sits on top, matching that of Zayn’s cufflinks.  Harry holds open his right hand hand, contemplating which finger would be the lucky winner until he slips it onto his ring finger, amazed by the perfect fit when he opens and closes his hand.  Zayn holds up Harry’s hand, placing his cufflinks next to the ring.

“Look at that, we both got each other onyx accessories!” Zayn laughs, bouncing on his feet.  “But you know what?” he pauses, reaching into the pocket of his jeans, and pulls out an identical ring.  “I got one, too,” Zayn giggles, slipping it onto his left index finger.

“You got us matching rings?” Harry asks shocked.

“That day we saw my dad after we went out for lunch?  His deal went through with those people he met and they gave him these rings as a present!  But they couldn't fit him, so he gave them to me and I figured, you know,” Zayn shrugs, shyly looking at Harry through his eyelashes.  “I thought maybe they could be like our friendship rings.”

“I’ll wear it ‘til I get a ring tan,” Harry laughs, and the two friends tightly hug each other as their way of saying thanks.  “If we put our rings together will we become like the Wonder Twins?” Harry jokingly asks, tapping his ring against Zayn’s in jest.

“We should form into a panther!  Or maybe we should form into people who know how to dance.”

“Dance?  Like a proper dance?” Harry asks, and Zayn nods his head.

“I found out a string orchestra will be doing the music, so I kind of maybe want to get at least a waltz down if they decide to play one,” Zayn says embarrassed.  “I mean, I’ve seen people do it on telly and stuff, but I don’t know anyone who can give us a quick lesson.”

“I can do it!” Niall shouts from behind, scaring Harry and Zayn.  “I go to dance class with my girlfriend every Thursday night, I can teach you guys!”

–

Harry and Niall clear a space at the front of the shop, moving the leather chairs and rolling drawers aside for a makeshift dancing area.  Their boss went out for lunch, and the boys take advantage of the shop’s slowest hours for an impromptu lesson.  Harry is amazed by Niall’s patient demeanor, making sure he was in the right position and never getting annoyed when Zayn would start posing to make Harry laugh.

“Make sure you keep your arms up,” Niall says, tapping the underside of Harry’s arms.  “I’ll dance with you first, and then Zayn will do it after since he might take a bit more work.”  Niall stands beside Harry, then takes the lead by holding out his right hand for Harry to take in his left.  Harry turns his body to face Niall, who places his right hand on Harry’s waist, and prompts Harry to put his hand on his right shoulder.

“Basic dancing position, yeah?” Niall says, and Harry nods.  “I’m only going to teach you the basics of the waltz, so just a few steps to remember and you should be okay.”

“What if we don’t end up dancing the waltz?” Zayn asks.  “What if we get there and everybody’s just doing that sort of dry humping thing?”

“Then you’ll dry hump, Harry, obviously!” Niall replies annoyed.  “But you’re going to learn this and we’re not leaving this shop until you get it right.”

Zayn nods his head, then jumps onto the counter to watch Harry and Niall.  “Are you afraid you’ll fall on your face, Zayn?” Harry jokingly asks, and laughs when Zayn gives him the middle finger.

Niall starts the lesson by doing the basic steps of the waltz with Harry mirroring his steps: a step to the right, one step back, a step to the left, a diagonal step forward, and finish at the starting position to the left.  Harry fumbles a few times, accidentally stepping on Niall’s shoes, but eventually gets the hang of it within a few minutes, finishing off with a ballerina spin to amuse Zayn.

When it’s Zayn’s turn to dance with Niall, he’s not as quick as Harry, and takes his time to follow the steps.  He keeps his head down to look at his feet, despite Niall continually telling him to look up.  Zayn doesn’t step on Niall’s shoes as much as Harry, and implores Niall to keep practicing until he can move without thinking of the steps.

“Harry, I’ve got it!” Zayn exclaims, still dancing with Niall, “I can do this dance now!”

“We should try it all together, see if you can dance without stepping on either of our shoes,” Niall says as he pulls away, and spins Zayn around.

“How’s that going to work?” Harry asks curiously.  “I’ve never danced with two people at the same time.”

“Well, you and Zayn will get into position, and I’ll stand behind to make sure neither of you fuck it up.”

Harry and Zayn get into position, and Zayn takes the lead by putting his hand on Harry’s back, and smiles when they link their hands.  Niall stands behind Harry, and places his hands in the same position.  When Niall begins his countdown, they all move in one fluid motion, and Zayn can’t help but laugh when they continue their three-way waltz for several minutes.

Niall steps away to applaud Harry and Zayn for their effort, and Harry does a curtsy when he and Zayn are finished dancing.  Niall excuses himself to get them some water, and Harry and Zayn reorganize the front of the shop, sliding the rolling drawers and leather chairs back into their original place.  Harry takes a seat when he’s done and Niall emerges from the back, tossing a water bottle to both of them.  Zayn immediately opens his bottle and drinks half of it until he lets out a high-pitched scream, frightening Harry when he dives behind the counter.

“Zayn, what was that!” Harry stands up in a panic.

“Jesus, I didn’t realize you could scream that high!” Niall says, rubbing the inside of his ear with a finger.

The shop door opens and Harry’s eyes widen to the size of plates when he spots a messy bun enter his line of vision.  Harry immediately runs to the counter, and finds Zayn kneeling on the floor, his hands clinging to the small drawers and cubbies for dear life.

“It’s Donna, don’t let her see me!” Zayn whispers, then immediately covers his mouth.

“What do you want me to––Hello!” Harry stands upright, frightened by Donna standing in front of him.  “Haven’t we met before?” he asks, attempting small talk.

“Yeah, you’re the dickhead who ran off with Zayn when he was supposed to be in class,” Donna grits through her teeth.

Niall walks up to Harry, and freezes when he finds Zayn hugging his knees, holding a finger to his lips to keep him quiet.  “Um, how do you know Zayn?” Niall asks, confused.

“I’m his classmate, who the hell are you?”

“Hey!  Do not talk to my friend like that!” Harry shouts, sliding his way towards Zayn.  “Are you always this rude to everyone you meet?”

“I’m not rude, you mop-headed fuck!  You took Zayn away from me and I want to see him!”

“Do you think he’s a dog?  He doesn’t belong to you and he never will,” Harry growls, gripping the edge of the counter when Zayn clings to his legs, and swallows hard when he feels Zayn’s nose dig into his thigh.  “And what makes you think he’s here?  How the hell did you even find this place anyway?”

“I followed Zayn when he left school two hours ago and I saw him come in here.”  Donna’s expression turns menacing, her voice sounding gruffer by the second.  Zayn’s still holding on to Harry’s legs, and Harry can’t do anything but keep a straight face to keep his friend’s presence hidden.  “I saw all three of you dancing like a bunch of assholes!  I don’t see why any of you do it, nobody’s going to dance that old time crap anymore.”

“Okay, I’m gonna have to stop you right there, Miss Thing,” Niall snaps, holding up a finger to Donna’s face.  “One, don’t ever insult my dancing lessons.  Two, we don’t serve rude people, so if you’ll see your way out––”

“I am not leaving until I see Zayn!” she screams out, scaring all three boys.

“Get it through your head, Donna!” Harry shouts, throwing his hands up.  “Zayn doesn’t like you and he doesn’t want to be seen with you, let alone be followed!”

“You don’t know Zayn like I do,” she says, holding her head high.  “I know all of his secrets, you don’t know shit.”

“Oh, so you want to play that game?” Harry says offended.  “‘Cause if you really did know all of his secrets, then I’m sure you’d know he fucking hates you!”

“No!  Zayn loves me, he’s crazy about me!” Donna blurts out nervously, trying to gain an advantage over Harry.

“Crazy enough to get a restraining order on you!” Niall shouts from behind.

From the corner of Harry’s eye, Zayn crawls around him and emerges from the counter, breathing loudly through his nose with his jaw clenched.  Zayn reaches for Harry’s hand when he gets to his feet, and holds it behind his back for support.  Donna is now beside herself with joy, and giggles every other second at the sight of Zayn.

“Let me take care of this,” Zayn whispers, “just stay in the back.”

“Are you sure?” Harry asks worriedly.

“Yeah, what if she’s packing!” Niall whispers, making Harry and Zayn give him a confused look.  “What?  My girlfriend’s six-inch heels nearly killed me once!”

“Niall, just go!” Harry says, pushing Niall towards the back of the shop.  They stumble through the doorway together, and Harry closes it shut, keeping his hand on the door knob.

“What are we going to do?  What if she tries to kill him?” Niall panics, flailing his hands a little.

Harry holds a finger to his lips to silence Niall, then slowly opens the door again, and peeks through the inch-wide slit.  Niall slides under Harry and tucks the top of his head under Harry’s chin, opening the door just a little wider to watch Zayn’s confrontation.

“I heard everything, Donna,” Zayn says sternly.  “How dare you speak to my friends like that.  How dare you follow me and come in here acting like I’m your puppet!”

“I was just joking, you can take a joke, right?”  Donna’s tone is desperate and Harry struggles to hold back from laughing.  “I was going to ask you to the masquerade ball!  Oh Zayn, please tell me you’re not going with anyone else, please say I’m the only one?”

Zayn shakes his head, then winces when Donna begins to make high-pitched whining noises.  “But Zayn!” she protests, “We would look so good at the ball together, we would––”

“We would look like a disaster!” Zayn shouts.  “You’re rude, you’re delusional, and you can’t take no for answer.  I don’t want to see you and I don’t want you speaking to me _ever_ again.”

“Zayn, you can’t!  You promised!”

“Promised you what?  I never speak to you in class, how can I promise you anything?”

“Well, I mean… you promised in my head!”

Harry and Niall snicker, and Zayn shoots them a glare from where they stand.  “Who _is_ this girl, anyway?  Why is she so desperate for Zayn?” Niall whispers, his hair tickling Harry’s chin when he looks up.

“She’s weirdly obsessed with him and makes up all these stories,” Harry replies, scratching his chin.  “I met her when I visited Zayn’s school and she chased us down the street when we were in a cab trying to get away!”

“You’re joking!  She can really run that fast?”

“Scariest thing I’d ever seen in my life, she was literally–– _whoa!_ ”  Harry stumbles backward when a box is thrown in their direction, and Niall falls forward, accidentally swinging the door open when Donna angrily storms away from the counter.

“Go fuck yourself, Zayn!  You and your stupid friends!  I hate you, I never loved you!”

“Let’s hope it stays that way!” Zayn shouts, and Donna finally leaves the shop.

Harry runs to Zayn, only to be held back at arm’s length in response. “Not now, I need to be alone.”  Zayn quickly walks in the direction of the fitting rooms, leaving Harry with Niall.

“Best take care of him,” Niall sighs, putting a hand on his hip.  “I don’t think a hug will suffice.”

“Everything was going so well until she showed up.”

“Go on back, I’m about to order us a security guard for the day.”

Harry runs to the fitting rooms, searching each stall until he finds Zayn sitting on the wooden chair with his hands covering his face.  Harry slowly approaches him, then kneels down, softly rubbing Zayn’s arms until he puts his hands in his lap.

“Hey,” Harry says quietly, “you okay?”  Zayn shakes his head in response, keeping his eyes closed.  “It’s all right, Niall’s got a security guard coming and you’ll be safe, I promise.”

Zayn sighs and slips out of the chair, kneeling beside Harry when he rests his forehead on Harry’s shoulder.  They stay quiet for a few moments until Zayn slips his arms around Harry, pulling him into a hug.  “I’m sorry I ruined your day.  You and Niall.  I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Harry assures him.  “You didn’t know this was going to happen, none of us saw it coming.  Don’t blame yourself.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t think she’d say all those things to you and Niall!  I feel awful about this, I feel like I should have done more.”

“Hey, I don’t want to hear that, okay?  I’m almost done with my shift anyway, we’ll go out for dinner and it’ll be my treat.”

“I think I’d like that,” Zayn laughs softly, giving Harry a kiss on the cheek.  “Is it okay if I could stay at your place?  I don’t think my parents would understand if I came home so upset.”

“Of course, you know you’re always welcome.”

“D’you think we can order some takeaway from that new Greek place down the street, instead of going out?”

“Anything you want.”

“ _Anything_ I want?” Zayn says with a smirk.

“I hope you’re still talking about food,” Harry laughs, “and you called _me_ naughty.”

–

Zayn’s breathing in the chilly night air and Harry’s lying on his back on the roof of his flat, staring at the stars with a belly full of dolmades.  The Greek takeaway they shared was beyond delicious and if Harry ate one more slice of toasted pita bread, he was sure his stomach would explode.  Harry can see Zayn looking over the ledge, standing on his tip toes to look down at the street below.

“Be careful,” Harry says, and groans when his stomach rumbles.  “I shouldn’t have eaten all that rice, I feel like a balloon.”

Zayn giggles, then joins Harry, lying on the ground with him.  “If I’m into astronomy, I’d bet you’d be into _gastronomy_!” he says with a laugh.

“God, you are terrible at jokes,” Harry snorts, poking Zayn in the stomach.

“Thanks for letting me stay over,” Zayn whispers, snuggling up to Harry.  “It’s awesome when it’s just us.”

“Definitely,” Harry smiles, wrapping his arm around Zayn.  “You know, I kind of think I’d be lost without you.”

“Lost?  How do you mean?”

“I don’t know, I just,” Harry sighs, tapping his fingers over Zayn’s arm.  “I haven’t had a lot of friends since I’ve been living on my own and… I mean, I wasn’t looking for a partner or anything, but I just felt so alone until we met.”  Zayn hugs Harry a little tighter, and leaves a kiss on Harry’s chin.  “I’m just a lot happier now than I was a few months ago.”

Zayn props himself up with an elbow, and Harry looks at him, noticing his sympathetic expression.  “Oh, Harry,” Zayn smiles lovingly, “why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“I think it was those lamb souvlakis you made me eat,” Harry jokingly says, making Zayn roll his eyes.  “But I guess I never realized how good things are until right now.  It’s amazing what Greek food can do to you, don’t you think?”

“You’re a dummy,” Zayn laughs, poking Harry’s bloated stomach.  “But I’m glad you told me this.  I’m glad I can be the one you turn to for anything and make you as happy as you are now.  But we have Niall, too!  Niall is just a good a friend as anybody else.”

Harry takes a deep breath and sighs happily, smiling when he closes his eyes.  Zayn lies down and snuggles up to him again, this time slotting his leg between Harry’s.  “Mind if I leave it there?” Zayn asks, making Harry laugh.

“You’re always in my crevices.”

“Is there any other place to be?”

“Probably in my room, where my toes don’t feel like falling off ‘cause they’re half frozen.”

Zayn bursts out laughing, bringing himself to his knees.  “Come on then,” he says, helping Harry sit up, “let’s snuggle in your nice warm bed.”

They race down the stairs and into Harry’s flat, then chase each other around kitchen before they end up in Harry’s room, and fall side-by-side on the bed.  Harry can’t stop giggling, and Zayn pokes his stomach trying to get him to laugh even harder.

“Stop that,” Harry pushes him away, “stop making my face hurt!”

“I’d never hurt that precious face of yours!” Zayn laughs, climbing on top of Harry and pinning his arms down.  “Your face is my favorite,” he says, licking the tip of Harry’s nose, “I’d love to see what you look like when I get you off.”

“Get me off?” Harry raises his brow.  “You’re scandalous tonight,” he says with a snicker.

“Must be those keftedes you made me eat,” Zayn jokes, kissing Harry on the lips.

Harry lifts his chin and Zayn kisses him again, this time with a lot more tongue than they’re used to.  Zayn still has a hold on Harry’s arms, and struggles to keep them down when Harry tries to break free.  Harry bites Zayn’s bottom lip, making him yelp, and Zayn grinds his hips over Harry’s, both of them moaning at the same time.  If Harry’s going to have his first experience with a boy, he’s pleased it’s going to be with Zayn rather than a complete stranger.  Although, in a sense, Zayn’s slightly athletic body is pretty foreign to Harry.

“Remember when you asked me,” Harry bites his lip, inhaling sharply from Zayn’s cock rubbing against his own.

“When I asked you what?” Zayn asks innocently, rocking his hips a little slower into Harry.

“ _Oh christ_ , that feels really good,” Harry laughs, arching his back.  “The hand job offer, you said you’d give me one if I asked.”

“I sure did,” Zayn smirks, “but I’m more keen on you telling me you want it, rather than asking.”

“Of course I want it, _I need it._  We’re already here and I don’t trust anyone but you to do this.”

Zayn leans down to kiss Harry, and releases the hold he has on Harry’s arms.  Harry runs his hands over Zayn’s back, then flips him over and straddles his hips.  The bottom of Harry’s hoodie rises a little, and Zayn puts his hand on Harry’s stomach, letting out a surprised squeak when he opens his mouth.

“Hey now, what’s all this?” Zayn quips, lightly running his icy fingertips over Harry’s abdomen.  “You’ve got a six-pack for someone who measures clothes all day.”

“Tailoring burns lots of calories, don’t you know?” Harry jokes, and Zayn brings him down for a kiss.  “I do a bunch of sit-ups and push-ups when I wake up in the morning, it’s just so I can stay fit.”

“Well, you’re obviously doing a good job,” Zayn giggles.

“I’m, uh…” Harry hesitates, sitting back up.  “I-I don’t know.”

“It’s okay, we don’t have to do this.  It was a silly idea anyway.”

Harry throws his head back laughing, then removes his hoodie, and takes his thermal shirt off with it.  “I meant I don’t know how this works,” he slightly blushes.  “I don’t know where I’m supposed to position myself and all that.  I’ve only gotten this while I’m sitting down.”

“ _Ohh_ , why didn’t you say so in the first place?” Zayn laughs, attempting to wriggle out of his own hoodie.  Harry helps him take it off along with his t-shirt, and tosses them over his shoulder.  “We can stay like this if you want,” Zayn says, running his index finger along the elastic of Harry’s pyjamas.  “You stay up there and I’ll be under you, and we can go at the same time.”

Harry and Zayn try to take off their pyjamas, and Zayn starts to laugh when he realizes he can’t push his waistband past Harry’s long legs.  Harry climbs off of him and pulls off Zayn’s pyjamas, then Harry takes off his own and quickly jumps over Zayn again, biting his lip when Zayn playfully smacks his small, but firm ass.  Harry leans down for a kiss, slowly grinding his cock over Zayn, and lets out a soft moan when Zayn runs his hand between their bodies.

Harry buries his face in Zayn’s neck, their backs arching and stomachs rubbing into each other when Zayn lightly thumbs at Harry’s head, smearing the precome under his shaft.  Harry slowly sits up, his right hand running over Zayn’s chest and down his stomach when he finally gets a hold of Zayn’s cock.  They start off slow, moaning at the smooth sensation of each other’s hands.  Zayn tightens his grip and Harry gasps, nearly falling over when Zayn’s hand starts moving even faster.

“ _Oh fuck!_ ” Harry moans breathlessly, and runs his hand on Zayn’s cock even faster to get him in the same state.  Zayn arches his back and his head sinks into the thick duvet, biting his lip when he looks at Harry.  Harry’s starting to sweat, and he’s so close when Zayn starts moaning even louder, his breath stuttering every other second.  Harry can feel his stomach tensing and he tightens his grip on Zayn, wanting him to come at the same time.

“ _Fuck Harry, I’m there, keep going_ ––” Zayn holds his breath when his body goes stiff, then gasps when he comes all over his stomach, and covers his mouth with his arm to keep from groaning out loud.  Zayn unknowingly slows his speed on Harry’s cock, then steadies his pace until he feels Harry’s body starting to shake.  Harry closes his eyes and Zayn grips his cock even harder, roughly stroking him until Harry digs his nails into Zayn’s arm, and leaves streaks of come all over his chest and neck.

Harry leans over Zayn, placing his hands on either side of his head, regaining his breath.  Zayn pulls Harry down for a quick kiss, and Harry grins at him, licking the tip of his nose.  Harry jumps off and runs to his bathroom, wetting a small hand towel before he bounds back to the bed, softly humming to himself while he cleans off Zayn’s body.

“What are you smiling about?” Zayn asks, poking Harry’s dimple.

“I just feel good.  Really good.”

“Because of me?”

“Always, Zayn.”

Zayn grins, then sits up to face Harry.  “Dad thinks you’re my boyfriend,” he laughs, bumping his shoulder into Harry.  “He knows we’re best mates, but since I never shut up about you, well… obviously he has every reason to suspect something.  Not that he minds, though.”

Harry snickers, then slides off the bed, putting his pyjamas back on.  “Niall said the same thing to me earlier,” he shakes his head, searching for his thermal shirt.  “Said it’s ‘cause we’re so touchy and all that.”

“We make quite the enigma, don’t you think?”  Zayn puts on his hoodie when Harry hands it to him, followed by his pyjamas, and tosses his t-shirt aside.

“Aren’t enigmas mysterious?  We’re hardly that,” Harry says, climbing into bed and under the warmth of his thick duvet.  Zayn follows him, and the two scoot next to each other with their noses almost touching.

“Yes, an enigma is mysterious,” Zayn nods, “but it’s also a riddle or a puzzle.  A paradox, even!  And I’ve thought about it, you know.”

“Thought about what?”

“When you asked me which constellation is my favorite.”

“Ah, so you’ve finally made up your mind?”

“Orion!” Zayn grins, then spreads his hands out, nearly hitting Harry over the head.  “It’s one of the most visible constellations in the world, and it’s got two of the brightest stars: Betelgeuse and Rigel.”

“Tell me about them,” Harry smiles, closing his eyes.

“Well, in the Bayer designation, Betelgeuse is an Alpha Orionis and Rigel is a Beta Orionis.  But the really funny thing is,” Zayn yawns, his eyes starting to droop, “Rigel is brighter than Betelgeuse, even though it’s a beta.  Alphas are usually stronger than betas, it’s a fact.”

“Power struggle,” Harry mumbles.  “Can you see Rigel from here?”

“Almost as bright as the sun, like you,” Zayn softly sighs.  “But you’re brighter than all of them.”

–

The muscles in Harry’s lower back are starting to tighten, having to kneel down and clean the shop’s display so early in the morning.  Harry’s body is strangely angled, practically contorting his body just to wipe down all the dust that’s gathered since the last time he and Niall changed it.  Harry stands up a little too quickly when he’s done, and nearly stumbles from the head rush.  Zayn rushes to his side, holding his shoulders in place to keep him from falling over.

Harry thanks him with a smile and the two head outside, making sure the new display case looks the way it should according to his boss’s plans.  Harry’s boss was keen on the idea of them attending the masquerade ball, and decided the shop should showcase their finest dinner and smoking jackets in the front window.  The ball is two days away and the anticipation excites Harry and Zayn more than anything.

“Looks good to me,” Zayn says, shielding his eyes from the morning sun.

“Just need to wipe down the windows, but I’ll probably get Niall to do it when he shows up.”

A car horn honks down the street and Zayn looks over, nudging Harry to do the same.  A Jeep pulls up to where they stand and catch sight of two beautiful girls sitting in the front seat of the car.  The girls look at each other before they look at the two friends, and Niall jumps out from the back, telling the girls to wait a moment when he runs to bump fists with Harry and Zayn.

“Whoa, who are those girls?” Zayn asks impressed.  “Are they friends of yours?”

“They are my ladies,” Niall says with a smirk.  “That’s Liri in the driver’s seat and that’s Melanie in the passenger seat.”

Harry and Niall wave at them, and the two girls wave back, then beckon Niall to come back for a kiss.  Niall runs back to the Jeep and gives each of them a kiss so laden with tongue it makes Zayn absolutely breathless, and he grabs onto Harry’s arm to keep himself grounded.  “ _Damn_ , the way he’s kissing them is getting me really hot,” Zayn murmurs.

“Don’t give me any ideas,” Harry whispers in jest.

“See you tonight, babes!” Niall says as he backs away from the car, “And don’t be late!”

“We won’t!” they say in unison, and blow kisses to Niall when they drive off.

“Ah man, I just love those girls,” Niall sighs, rubbing his reddened cheeks.  “What?” Niall says, confused by Harry and Zayn staring at him.  “What did I do?”

“But… I thought you had a girlfriend?  Won’t she be angry you’re with them?” Harry asks curiously.

“Yeah, are you some kind of pimp?” Zayn laughs, and Niall punches him in the arm, making Harry hold up his fist in retaliation.

“Don’t call me that!” Niall angrily shouts.  “They’re my girlfriends, we’ve been together for two years!”

“ _Girlfriends?_   _Plural?_ ” Harry says in shock, then looks to an equally stunned Zayn.  “Is that even allowed?”

“Well, they just sort of came to me one night, and we had a chat!  And y’know, when a man and two women love each other very much _things happen_ ,” Niall says with a smirk, bouncing on his feet.  “Call it what you want, but they have made me an extremely happy man.”

“But what if one of them gets jealous and you end up,” Zayn pauses, using his hands to draw the shape of a triangle and a square, “in the dog house?”

“Communication, my dearest Zayn!” Niall exclaims, clapping him on the shoulder.  The three head towards the front door of the shop and Harry opens it, letting Zayn and Niall inside.  “Never leave out anything that might hurt your partner,” Niall says to them.  “In my case, after we talk things out, I get a double blow job and my ladies get eaten out like crazy.  The sex is amazing and they really like it when I lift them against something, usually a wall or the kitchen counter.  I mean, it’s the only explanation for my massive biceps.”

Niall flexes his muscles, and Harry playfully gasps in awe when Zayn squeezes Niall’s hard muscles.  “Jesus, who knew you’d have to be as horny as you are to get arms like yours,” Harry says with a laugh.

“I could probably say the same for you two,” Niall snorts and lightly hits both Harry and Zayn’s crotches, making them hunch over in pain.  “I wouldn’t be surprised if you two have gone down on each other, to be honest,” he says with a cackle, and stops midway when Harry glares at him.

 “Zayn, would you like to know what Niall told me just the other day?” Harry asks in a sing-song voice.

“Don’t you dare,” Niall says, frightened.  “You said you wouldn’t tell him!”

“Tell me what?” Zayn says excitedly.  “Harry, tell me!”

“Our darling Niall––”

“Harry, no!”  Niall lunges forward, covering Harry’s mouth with his hand.  “Uh, Harry was going to tell you how nice I think your hair is!” Niall laughs nervously.  “So very nice, Zayn.  Hair of the gods!”

“Aw, thanks!” Zayn gives him a kiss on the cheek, then slicks his hair back with his hand.  “You didn’t have to yell at Harry just to tell me that.”

Niall lets go of Harry’s mouth, his cheeks turning a darker shade of red every second that goes by.  “Well, I mean, you know,” Niall clears his throat, glancing at Harry crossing his arms.  “Hair is a sensitive thing.  I gotta go!”  Niall runs to the back of the shop, and Harry fixes his shirt, smirking at Zayn from where he stands.

“Want to tell me what that was all about?” Zayn asks with a smile.  Niall emerges from the back and Harry immediately whispers in Zayn’s ear, covering his mouth as he looks at a frightened Niall across the way.  Harry’s whispering about something else, but he wants to keep Niall on his toes for the next minute.  Zayn bursts out laughing and Niall panics, looking around before he ducks behind the counter.  Harry leans over it and Zayn sneaks up behind him, wrapping his arms around Harry’s waist with their heads next to each other.

“Come out, Niall,” Zayn beckons, “don’t be embarrassed.”

“Embarrassed about what?” Niall says with his head poking out.  “I didn’t say anything.”

“Did you really tell Harry that we’d have sex with each other at the ball?”

Niall immediately stands upright, his eyes blown wide open when he looks directly at Harry who winks at him.  Niall nods, then tries to hold back a smile.  “I did, yeah,” he says, standing up a little straighter.  “And with the way you’re standing right now?  I’d have to leave solely on your exhibitionism.”

“Oh, such big words he’s using!” Harry teases, reaching down to grab his crotch.  “I’ve got a hard on just hearing it.”

“Come on, Harry.  I think Niall’s overdue for a demonstration!”

Zayn playfully thrusts his crotch over Harry’s ass, making him and Niall laugh uncontrollably.  Niall tries to stop Zayn from going any further when the shop door opens, and all three freeze in place when Harry’s boss clears his throat.  They collectively straighten up and stand to attention, red-faced from the playful debauchery.  Harry’s boss squints at the three friends, then shakes his head when he walks past them.

“Honestly, Zayn.  You couldn’t wait for Harry to go on break before you did all that?”

–

Zayn eventually waits for Harry when he comes back from school a few hours later, and asks if Harry can spend the night at his flat again, this time with a bag full of his own clothes.  After they go out for dinner, they lounge on the sofa, watching the nightly rerun of _Cold Case_.  Zayn lies on his back with his arm over his forehead, and Harry lies with his back between Zayn’s legs, his head resting over Zayn’s stomach.  They watch the show entranced, and during the commercial break, Harry shifts his head to readjust his neck.  Harry hears Zayn slightly whimper and he sits up, confused by Zayn covering his eyes with his hand.

“What’s wrong?  Are you okay?”

“Yes,” he says, shaking his head.  “I mean, no!” and nods his head.

“Make up your mind,” Harry laughs, and Zayn removes his hand from his eyes to cover his mouth.

“Harry, when you moved your head, I… I kind of…” Zayn makes that same whimper again, then slightly rolls over to cover his face.  “I’m so embarrassed,” he muffles into the sofa.

Harry grabs the remote control and turns off the television, scooting closer to Zayn.  “Tell me what’s wrong.”

Zayn grabs Harry’s hand, then places it directly over his crotch.  Harry’s mouth opens when he feels the length of Zayn’s half hard cock, then lightly palms at it, making him groan into one of the cushions.  “All because I moved my head?” Harry asks, and Zayn nods.  “Did you want me to take care of it?”

Zayn’s body stiffens, then looks at Harry as if he’s seen a ghost.  “No, we already did it last night, I can’t ask you again.”

“You make it sound like we had some sort of written deal,” Harry snorts, untying the string of Zayn’s pyjamas.  “Um, you probably already know I’m not going to be very good for my first time… but I’d like to try.”

Zayn licks his lips, then nods at Harry.  “Only if you let me do it to you, too.”

Harry tugs at Zayn’s waistband, helping him wiggle out of them.  He palms at Zayn’s cock again, biting his lip when Zayn moans and arches his back.  Harry pushes Zayn’s shirt halfway up, then leans over to kiss his stomach, and works his way down until he reaches the elastic of Zayn’s boxer briefs.  Harry teases Zayn by mouthing his cock, making him writhe from the warmth of his mouth.  Harry tugs the front of Zayn’s underwear, bringing it low enough to reveal his hard cock.  Harry is a little apprehensive about his first performance, taking a deep breath when he tries to remember the last time he was given a blow job, and how it felt when his ex-girlfriend did all those magical things to him with her mouth.

“Let me know how I’m doing?” Harry asks, and Zayn enthusiastically nods his head.

Harry grabs Zayn’s cock, slowly running his hand up and down to get Zayn worked up again.  He lets go and it lies flat on Zayn’s stomach, and he leans over, slowly licking a stripe under the shaft, making Zayn gasp and shiver.  Harry giggles and does it again, then swirls his tongue around the head, looking at Zayn through his eyelashes.  Zayn’s covering his mouth, then closes his eyes when Harry slides his mouth over his cock.  Harry can only take in Zayn little by little, and keeps both of his hands at the base, twisting and turning at a steady speed in time with his mouth.

“ _Just like that,_ ” Zayn whispers shakily, running his hand through Harry’s curls.  “ _Keep going like that._ ”

Harry keeps at it until his lips hurt, and he comes up, wiping his mouth from the mess he’s made.  He leaves a trail of kisses along Zayn’s hips, then lowers his head and licks a stripe along Zayn’s balls that makes him choke his breath.  Harry remembers how amazing it felt when his ex-girlfriend did the same thing to him, and Harry sucks on them while stroking Zayn at the same time.  Harry goes back to sucking Zayn’s cock and Zayn grips the back of Harry’s head when it starts to bob, letting out little squeaks when Harry goes even faster despite the drool escaping the corners of his mouth.

“ _Oh fuck!  Stop, no more_ ,” Zayn strains with his voice, and Harry comes up, running his hand along Zayn’s cock fast enough until he finally comes.

Zayn calms down after a minute, and Harry embarrassingly asks, “How did I do?”  Zayn lets out a lazy laugh, and wipes off the sheen of sweat from his forehead.  “You were a bit slow, but it felt quite nice.  There was a lot more drool than I’m used to, but overall…” Zayn looks up, calculating a number in his mind.  “I’d give you a six out of ten, maybe a six and a half since you took my balls into consideration.”

Harry bursts out laughing, then stands up, heading to the kitchen to grab a few paper towels.  “Here, let me,” Zayn says, holding his hand out.  Harry hands him a sheet, and Zayn quickly cleans himself off before he tucks everything back into place, and leaves his pyjamas untied.

“It’s your turn now,” Zayn licks his lips, then places his hand on Harry’s hips, bringing him closer.  “We’re not going to bed until you come.”  Zayn roughly tugs at Harry’s pyjamas, teasing his body with wet kisses.  Harry’s already half hard, and holds onto Zayn’s shoulders for support when he feels Zayn’s mouth on his cock.  Zayn is a lot more graceful at this, the fluid motion of his mouth blurring Harry’s vision, the soft touch of his hands, the hums that come from his mouth.  Harry grips Zayn’s hair when he moves even faster, becoming as breathless as possible until he comes all over Zayn’s mouth.

“Oh god!  I got it all over you, I’m so sorry,” Harry panics, grabbing one of the paper towels nearby to clean Zayn’s face.

“Harry,” Zayn says, grabbing his arm.  “Harry, it’s okay!” he laughs.  “It’s okay, I can clean it off myself.”

Zayn helps Harry fix his underwear, then stands up, and walks with Harry into his bedroom.  “So what’s my rating on the blow job scale?” Zayn asks jokingly as he flops backward onto the bed, bringing Harry with him.

“Well, obviously you’ve had more experience, so maybe a nine out of ten.”

“ _Nine?_  I am appalled!”

“You didn’t even take my balls into consideration, how can I give you a full rating!”

Zayn bursts out laughing and Harry kisses him, then rolls over to his side, resting his head on his hand.  Zayn scoots over and wraps his arm over Harry’s waist.  “You nervous about the ball?” Zayn asks, lightly nuzzling Harry’s nose.

“More excited, I think,” he grins.  “But I don’t blame you for being nervous if we have to dance.  I’ll be there with you to make an ass of myself too.”

“You’re too good to me, Harry,” Zayn giggles, kissing him on the lips.  “But if we do make asses of ourselves we can make it up by having sex.”

Harry laughs in surprise, then hooks his leg around Zayn’s waist, bringing him closer.  “You’re giving into Niall’s bet?”

“I love him, but he doesn’t need to know everything,” Zayn snickers.  “Unless you want to give him the satisfaction of knowing I’m porking my best friend?”

“Porking!  How dare you imply I am a piece of meat!”

“No, but have you seen these?” Zayn asks, grabbing a handful of Harry’s thighs and squeezing them hard enough to make him squeal.  “Tell me that’s not worth having between my legs.”

–

The secret gift Harry purchased for Zayn finally arrived in the mail, and he neatly places the thick card stock into a small blue envelope with Zayn’s name neatly printed on it.  Harry takes a peek, making sure the writing faced forward when the flap is opened.  The gift had a hefty price tag, but Harry didn’t care, not when he knows it’ll make Zayn the happiest person on the planet.  Harry opens his jacket, carefully placing the envelope into the breast pocket.  He buttons his jacket and smooths out the wrinkles, then finally emerges from the fitting rooms.

Harry is caught by surprise when a bright flash goes off, and Niall cackles maniacally as Harry tries to figure out what the hell is going on.  It’s finally the night of the ball, and Harry’s blindly walking around from the lights in his eyes, and Zayn holds him steady when he reaches the middle of the empty shop.  Niall brought his professional camera, and took it upon himself to take photographs of Harry and Zayn to show his girlfriends.  The amount of photos Niall has taken is enough for ten scrapbooks, but Harry’s just waiting for the flashes to stop before he thinks he’ll go permanently blind.

“Niall, are you finished!?” Harry shouts, blinking rapidly.

“Nearly there, just a few more!” he says, snapping away with his tongue sticking out.

“Mind that attitude, Harry,” Zayn adds with a yawn.

“Okay, now give me one where you kiss,” Niall grins.  “One for the girls, they’ll love you for it!”

“No!  We’re done.”  Harry walks away from Zayn and Niall, and grabs the lint roller sitting on the counter.  He starts cleaning his arms and Niall sneaks up behind him, snatching the roller away and setting his camera down.

“Don’t be such a puss,” Niall whines, quickly cleaning the back of Harry’s suit jacket.  Zayn skips to the counter, then turns around to lean back on his elbows.  “Yeah, Harry, is this my wedding or yours?” Zayn snickers, and Harry rolls his eyes.

“How soon will the driver be here?” Harry asks, changing the subject.

“Any time now,” Zayn says as he checks his watch.

“Oh, look at you!” Niall cries, “Matching rings and royal blue color coordination!”  Niall holds his hands to chest, mouthing the word ‘aww’ at his friends.  He grabs a perfume bottle sitting next to the cash register, giving both of them a single spritz just under their adam's apples.  Harry inhales the earthy scent, detecting a bit of beeswax and lavender before it settles into his skin.

A car horn honks just outside of the shop and Niall does one last check for lint on Harry and Zayn’s suits, then delicately hands them their masks before they head outside.  Harry’s in awe of the sleek, black Jaguar idling on the empty road, and Zayn practically squeals with delight when the driver steps out to open the back door.

“Gentlemen?” the driver says, waving his hand for Harry and Zayn to step inside.

“Just a sec!” Niall quips, running in front of his friends.  “I have a little gift for both of you, so close your eyes.  And no peeking!”

Harry and Zayn do as Niall asks, and Harry can feel Niall’s hand on the inside of his suit jacket, and nearly freaks out when Niall’s hand almost crushes the card in his pocket.  “Be careful, there’s something valuable in there!” Harry almost shouts.  Niall apologizes and stuffs his gift behind Harry’s pocket square instead.  Harry furrows his brow when he hears a crinkly noise, and tilts his head when he hears it again from Zayn’s jacket.

“That tickles, Niall,” Zayn laughs.

“Okay, you can open your eyes!  But don’t look until you’re in the car.”

Harry and Zayn blink and look at each other, then shrug before they head inside of the Jaguar.  The driver closes the door and Harry presses the button to roll down the window when Niall taps on it.

“Have fun, darlings!  Don’t forget to send me drunk pictures!”

Harry and Zayn laugh, then blow kisses at Niall before the car drives away.  Zayn sits back in his seat and Harry sighs, touching his neatly coiffed hair.  Harry reaches down to grab his mask when he hears the crinkle in his jacket, remembering Niall’s little gift.  With his fingers, he pushes his pocket square aside and pulls out two small blue foil packets.

“What is this?” Harry asks confused.  Zayn digs into his own breast pocket, and holds up an identical pair.  “Are these...?  Niall, you bastard!” Harry shouts, horrified.  “He gave us condoms!”

Zayn bursts out laughing and puts his packets back into his jacket.  “It’s thoughtful!  Too bad he didn’t give us a tube of lube, that’s just plain inconsiderate.”

Harry playfully rolls his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief.  The Jaguar makes a right turn and Harry holds on to the handle above the window, careful not to slide over into Zayn’s space.  The bright lights of the city fade into a mere twinkle, and soon the car begins its winding trek up the hill towards Eidem Hall.  Harry tilts his head towards the window, looking at some of the stars that were beginning to shine in the evening sky.

“Stars are coming out,” Harry says, turning to face Zayn.

“They are,” Zayn smiles.  “But they’ll be even brighter soon.”

The anticipation in Harry’s stomach is building up, and looks out of the window again, this time catching a glimpse of the full moon.  It lights the way to his destination, and Harry’s never seen it look as beautiful as it does now.  The car slows down along a queue, and Harry catches glimpses of the beautiful outfits on all the women that pass by.  Harry leans back in his seat, reaching for Zayn’s hand, gripping it for support.

Zayn tells the driver to bring them to the front, insisting on a grand entrance.  Harry turns to face Zayn, giving him a devious grin, implying he’s ready for a night of fun.  The Jaguar comes to a stop at the entrance where several groups of people look their way, waiting for whoever will come out of the car.  Zayn leans over, and gives Harry a kiss on the cheek.

“Are you ready, Harry?”

“Let’s do this.”

Harry and Zayn put their masks on, and help each other tie the silk ribbons securely.  The driver steps out of the car and runs to Zayn’s side, his body shielding half of the window from where he stands.  Zayn takes a deep breath, then knocks on the window, signaling the driver to open the door.  A slight breeze enters the car and Zayn steps out first, then holds his hand out for Harry to take.

Harry closes his eyes when he emerges, then opens them when he hears the crowd go silent.  Zayn takes a step forward, and Harry proudly struts beside him, nearly gaping at the groups of people that back away and reveal a marble staircase leading into the mansion.

“How awesome was that!” Harry squeals behind his teeth.

“I know, I feel like royalty right now!” Zayn says, gripping Harry’s hand even tighter.

They reach a large white and gold painted doorway and enter a brightly lit corridor decorated with wall to wall gold Rococo mirrors.  The doors close behind them and they look around, unsure of what to do.  The place is completely empty until one of the mirrors sinks into the wall, and slides open with two maids emerging from a secret passageway: the first maid with her ginger hair in a beehive, and the second maid with her long black hair styled with curls at the bottom.  They both wear black form-fitting silk dresses with white aprons tied around their waists, along with matching diamond encrusted domino masks, adding to their mysterious appeal.

They slowly walk towards the two boys, and Harry is suddenly feeling a little too hot listening to their high heels clacking in time.  Harry eyes their nude stockings with black lace vines crawling up their long legs, and he holds his breath when the second maid walks ahead of her companion, catching a glimpse of a red bow attached to her garter suspender that peeks out from under her flowing skirt.  Her perfume trails behind, and Harry inhales, savoring its sweet, fruity notes.

The maids stand in front of Harry and Zayn, then slightly bow their heads.  “Good evening, gentlemen,” they greet in unison.

“Ladies,” Zayn shakily says, then nudges Harry, who simply nods at them.

“Welcome to Eidem Hall,” the first maid says, holding her hand out towards a mirrored door.

“Won’t you be our guests this lovely evening?” the second maid adds with a smile.

The maids walk towards the doors, then stand on either side with a hand on the bronzed, curly door knobs.  They turn the handles as Harry and Zayn step forward, and their eyes widen when the doors to the mansion are finally opened.

–

An orchestra of violins greet Harry’s ears, taking in the soft harmonious tune that feels like a summer’s day.  He looks around, mostly amazed by the beautiful dresses that adorn the women in the room.  Zayn takes Harry’s hand and they weave across the white marble floor, gliding around the dancing couples and being careful not to crash into anyone wearing a large bustle.  Harry takes in the beauty of the room, noticing the twinkling chandelier from above, the walls adorned with images of cherubs, and the ceiling’s intricate paintings of a garden.

“Those girls were beautiful, weren’t they?” Harry asks, still looking around the room.

“Yes, but I could hardly see what they looked like with their masks!”

“The one with the black hair, I saw her garter and nearly had an erection,” Harry laughs, still clinging to Zayn’s hand.  Zayn stops and Harry crashes into him, then turns around to face his friend.  “Harry, don’t go near her.  And that’s not a request.”

“I just asked if you thought they were pretty,” Harry says confused.  “I’m not ditching you or anything.”

“I know, but… you’re _my_ date and you’re supposed to be paying attention to me.”

Harry laughs, then cups Zayn’s face with his hands, giving him a kiss on the lips.  “Someone sounds a little jealous!”

“Come off it,” Zayn smiles.  “Let’s just enjoy the ball, yeah?”

“Zayn!  Hey, Zayn!” someone shouts from behind.  Harry and Zayn turn around, and find a group of people heading towards them, shielded by their feathered masks.  Zayn runs to greet them, giving the boy with a red and white checkered mask a bear hug.  Harry watches in amusement as the girls touch his mask, but flicks their hands away when they try to touch his hair.  Zayn holds up his hand to the group and runs back to Harry, tugging on his arm to join them.

“Guys, guess who I’ve finally brought!”

“Ah, so you’re the infamous Harry!” the boy in the checkered mask says with a laugh.  “I’m sure this isn’t news to you, but Zayn talks about you all. the. time.  He’s literally just an encyclopedia of you.”

“Hey, no need to brag,” Zayn snorts.  “Harry, this is Louis, he’s one of my good mates at school!”

Harry holds his hand out for Louis to shake, and Zayn introduces him to the rest of the group that greet him with open arms.  There’s only six people–three boys and three girls–but Harry feels like Zayn’s got a whole crowd of friends he’s yet to meet.  The three girls fawn over Harry, playing with his curls, asking about his mask, and cooing whenever he gives them his dimpled smile.  Harry feels like a king getting this kind of attention, and he can tell Zayn is enjoying it all the same.

“Oh Harry, how do you get your hair to look like this?” the first girl asks as she leans forward, making Harry breathless at the sight of her ample cleavage.

“Get away from him!” the second girl scoffs, “I called first dibs!”

“Harry, don’t mind them,” the third girl says, pushing the other two away.  “Come with me and have drink.”

“Ladies, please!” Harry laughs nervously.  “You don’t have to fight, can’t we just share?”

“Sorry, girls!” Zayn says, pushing all three of them aside.  He wraps his arms over Harry’s shoulders, and Harry puts his hands on Zayn’s waist, bringing him closer.  “Hands off, he’s mine tonight.”

The three girls wave him off, and Zayn whisks Harry away to another part of the room near the string orchestra.  Harry and Zayn dance around to the classical pieces, mostly twirling each other in a circle and laughing when they step on each other’s feet.

“D’you think we can ask the orchestra to play a waltz?” Zayn asks in Harry’s ear.  “Don’t want to disappoint Niall!”

“Do you know any waltz-y songs?”

“I know one, but I’m not sure if they’ll know it!  Should we still ask anyway?”

The musicians pause for a short break before their next piece, and the two friends run to the elderly conductor when he steps behind his music stand.  Harry stays quiet, watching as Zayn asks, “Tchaikovsky’s ‘[Serenade for Strings](http://youtu.be/vZg9Da3Tl6I)’, the second movement, do you know it?”  The conductor grins, then says a few words to a cellist before he taps his baton, and raises his arms for the violinists to pick up their instruments.

Zayn brings Harry back to the dancing area, and stand in the basic dancing position like Niall taught them a few days before.  The first note from the cello hums through the air, and soon the crescendo of violins join in, leaving the room in a standstill when they begin to dance.  Harry is careful to watch his step, moving as fluidly as possible with the rhythm of the piece.  It almost feels like they’re dancing on a cloud, the weight of Harry’s feet as light as air as he glides around the room.  Zayn’s got his eyes locked on Harry, counting the steps under his breath to stay in time with the music.

“Zayn, relax,” Harry laughs, “you don’t need to count your steps.”

“You’ve done it now, you’ve made me lose count, now I don’t know what I’m doing!”

“But look at you!  You’re still in time with me!”

Zayn laughs, then pushes Harry away to twirl him around.  “I guess I am, aren’t I!”

“You’re an even better dancer than you know!”

They continue dancing until the orchestra is finished, then clap when the conductor turns to them, waving his baton in their direction.  Zayn’s friends run up to them, praising them for being the only couple on the floor for knowing how to dance.

“Well, I mean, we did have some help,” Zayn says with his goofy grin.

“Oh Harry, dance with me!  Zayn, let me dance with him this once,” one of the girls pleads.

“I’m gonna get some drinks, but if I come back and he’s not in one piece…” Zayn holds up his hand and makes a slapping sound that makes Harry crack up.

“You worry too much about your little boy toy,” the girl giggles.  “He’ll be just fine.”

“Go on then, Zayn.  You know I’ll be okay.”

Zayn raises an eyebrow, then gives Harry a wink when he walks away.  Harry takes the girl’s hand, placing his hand on her waist and hers on his shoulder.  They mostly dance in place, moving quickly in a circle from the uptempo orchestral piece.  He lets go of the girl’s waist at one point to twirl her around once, then twice.  She laughs when she crashes into him, and Harry catches a glimpse of the dark-haired maid from earlier in the evening.  Her ginger counterpart is nowhere to be seen, but she lounges near the entrance, her diamond mask illuminating her gorgeous face and making his heart race.

Harry excuses himself when the song is over, and keeps an eye on the maid when he makes his way to her.  He’s only halfway there when she spots him, giving him a slight smirk as he gets closer.  She tosses her curls over her shoulder, the low neckline of her dress revealing part of her exposed collarbone, an invitation to her seduction.  He stops when another boy approaches her, but she holds up her hand and shakes her head, focusing her attention back on Harry when he walks away.   Harry’s hesitant to move until she beckons him with her index finger, and he unknowingly holds his breath until they’re finally face-to-face.

“Hi,” he says nervously.  “I’m Harry.”

“Hello again, Harry,” she says in a sultry tone.  “Are you enjoying the ball?”

Harry nods his head, then looks over his shoulder.  “I’m here with my friend, Zayn.  I’m his date and he might go mad if he saw me talking to you.”

She smiles and tucks in a curl behind her ear, letting her fingers run down her neck, and Harry feels a bit of a twitch in his pants when they slowly glide over her cleavage.  Harry knows she must doing this on purpose to entice him, to catch him in her trap, and he’s more than willing to give himself up if it meant she’d have her way with him.

“There’s nothing to be jealous about if we’re just talking.”

“I eat and sleep Zayn.  He is my life twenty-four hours a day, give or take a few minutes.  Not that I’m complaining, though, I love him to pieces.”

“Sidereal rotation.”

“Sorry?” he blurts out confused.

“It measures the rotation of the Earth in relation to the stars instead of the sun.  A sidereal day takes twenty-three hours, fifty-six minutes, and four point one seconds.”  The maid stands up a little straighter and the hem of her skirt rises a little, showing off the garter suspenders that took Harry’s breath away once, and again for the second time.  “Astronomers use it to find a star at a specific time no matter where the Earth is facing,” she smiles, lifting Harry’s chin with her finger.  “I assume you and your friend always find your way to each other regardless of where you are.”

“How do you know all this?” Harry asks in awe.  “Are you an astronomy major, too?”

“Something like that.”

“Do you know Zayn?”

“You could ask him yourself.  He’s right behind you.”

“Is he?” he says, turning around.  “Where is––”

“Harry!” Zayn shouts, handing him a drink.  “There you are, I nearly embarrassed myself walking up to the wrong person.”

“Sorry about that," Harry jokes, then takes a sip of the fruit punch from the plastic cup.  “Zayn, do you know who this is?” Harry turns around to introduce the maid, only to find she's disappeared and panics as he frantically looks for her.

Zayn tries to calm Harry down, putting his hand under Harry's jaw to get him focused.  “Are you okay?  Who are you looking for?”

“The maid with the black hair, I was talking to her before you got here and now she’s gone!”

“The one we saw when we got here?”

“Yeah!  I asked if she knows you and she said I should ask you.”

Zayn leans on his leg, furrowing his eyebrows to think.  He taps a finger on his chin, then shakes his head when he can’t figure out who it could be.  “Sorry, she’s not really ringing any bells at the moment.”

“Well, if it isn’t Zayn and his little fuckboy,” says a voice behind Zayn.

“ _Oh crap_ ,” Zayn whispers under his breath.  “Even in a mask she can find me.”

Harry’s neck tenses and Zayn slowly turns around, finding Donna in a bright pink dress and matching domino mask.  Harry rolls his eyes and Zayn’s hand starts trembling, nearly crushing his plastic cup.

“What do you want, Donna?”  Zayn’s jaw is clenched, clearly having a physical allergic reaction to her presence.

“To see you cry,” she says menacingly.  “Hey look, Louis is calling for you!”

Harry and Zayn quickly turn around, but Louis is nowhere to be found.  From the corner of his eye, Harry can see Donna quickly folding up a piece of paper and he turns his head, giving her an annoyed look that’s clearly blocked by his mask.

“Have fun fucking each other, losers!” she shouts, running away.

“I hate her!  I wish she’d leave us alone!” Zayn huffs out.  He lifts his cup, then crosses his eyes when he notices something floating over the punch.  “Is this dust?” he asks, showing the cup full of white powder to Harry.  “That wasn’t there before, I don’t want this anymore.”

Zayn sets the cup aside and Harry looks at his own, showing no signs of the dust floating over his drink.  He shrugs and raises his drink, letting a small amount of liquid hit his lips when he feels a hand forcefully grab his wrist.

“Stop!  Don’t drink that!”  Harry freezes, his eyes widening as they dart back and forth around the room.  The mysterious raven-haired maid is clinging to his wrist, breathing heavily through her nose.

“Let go of him,” Zayn says through his teeth.

“The girl in the pink dress slipped something into your drink, spit it out right now!”

“She _what_!?” Zayn screams at the top of his lungs, and Harry tosses the cup aside, spilling its contents all over the marble floor.

“Where’s the bathroom, tell me where it is!” Harry shouts.

“In here, follow me!” she says, pulling Harry and Zayn back into the empty front corridor.  She places a hand on one of the Rococo mirrors, and a depression on the wall opens the secret passageway she’d emerged from when Harry first saw her.  “Go up the stairs and pull the candelabra on the wall to your right, there’ll be a red door when you get there.”

Zayn removes his mask and tugs on Harry’s arm when he runs up the stairs, nearly stumbling from the lack of light in the room.  The drugs can’t possibly have entered Harry’s system, but his brain’s gone haywire, believing something terrible will happen and he won’t live long enough to make it to the toilet.

They make it to the top of the stairs, pushing open the hollow wooden wall, and burst through the red door.  Harry quickly runs to the toilet and removes his mask, lifting the seat up to vomit.  He takes a deep breath trying to force his throat and stomach to do something, but it’s all in vain, and he cries when nothing will come out.

“Zayn, help me!” Harry sobs, “I can’t throw up and I don’t want to stick my finger down my throat!”

“Don’t do it!” Zayn kneels beside him, “You didn’t even drink it, you don’t have to resort to that!”

“Damn it, just finger my throat, will you!?”

“I am not going to finger you anywhere!”

“I’m fucking scared and I don’t want to die, just fucking do it already!”

“Harry, you’re overreacting!” Zayn grabs him by the shoulders, and shakes him out of his hysteria.  “Get a hold of yourself, you asked me to finger you!”

“Fingering my ass hole won’t help me vomit, what the hell is wrong with you!?”

“You being an idiot is going to make _me_ vomit, just stop it!”

Harry begins to hyperventilate, and Zayn quickly helps him sit against the cupboard of the sink, and puts his arms around Harry until he calms down.  Maybe Harry _was_ overreacting, but he’s never taken drugs, and he couldn’t really blame himself for thinking he might have ingested whatever was in his cup.  He didn’t want to die knowing he hadn’t given his gift to Zayn just yet.

“You all right now?” Zayn asks, softly massaging Harry’s arm with his thumb.

Harry nods, then rests his head on Zayn’s shoulder.  “I’m sorry I yelled at you,” he sniffles, “I didn’t drink any of it, I swear.”

“It’s okay,” Zayn assures him, “it’s a good thing the maid caught you in time, though.”

“I’m sorry I asked you to finger me,” Harry weakly snorts, leaning his head back to face Zayn.  “That would have been awkward, don’t you think?”

“It’s probably the most bizarre thing you’ve ever asked me,” Zayn laughs, kissing Harry on the cheek.  Harry taps his shoes against the bathroom’s marble floors and Zayn stands up, holding his hands out to bring Harry to his feet.  Harry sits back against the marble counter, resting his arms on Zayn’s shoulder when he leans in for a hug.

“Sidereal rotation,” Harry whispers in Zayn’s ear.

“Did you pick that up from one of my textbooks?”

“The maid explained it to me when I told her you are basically my life.  It sounds weird to say my life revolves around you, but I honestly don’t know what I’d do.”

Zayn lets out an excited gasp, and bites his lip when he faces Harry.  “Did she tell you what it means?”

“Just that it takes…twenty-three hours and fifty-six minutes?  And something about astronomers using it to find stars at a certain time?  She kinda related it to us, that we’d always find each other no matter where we are.”

“Look at you, my little astronomer,” Zayn grins, lightly pinching Harry’s cheeks.  “You’re my life too, Harry.  You’re everything to me.”

“Such a pity we’re not actually boyfriends, I mean the amount of time we spend together...”

Zayn giggles, then steps aside to wash his hands.  “We’re boys _and_ we’re friends, that counts for something, doesn’t it?”

“You’ve also given me a hand job and a blow job,” Harry adds knowingly, tossing a towel to Zayn before he washes his own hands.  “That’s enough to keep me by your side.”

“We’re good like this,” Zayn nods with a grin.  “Best mates that offer a helping hand and a mouthful of joy.”

Harry throws his head back laughing, then shakes his head in amusement when he dries his hands.  “Does this mean I can go after that maid, then?”

Zayn lets out an exasperated sigh, then gathers their masks and lightly pokes Harry’s dimple.  “Come on, lover boy,” he grins, “let’s go find your mystery woman.”

–

Rows of picture frames line the walls of Eidem Hall, showing the progression of realistic paintings to modern-day photographs.  Harry and Zayn ogle at them, commenting on the fashionable men that seem to be prevalent in all of the photos.  Harry studies the clothing, taking mental notes of the minute details in the dinner jackets and top hats.  Harry’s distracted when Zayn calls for him, curiously staring at a particular photograph.

“Look who it is,” Zayn taps the frame.

Harry takes a closer look at the family portrait, and recognizes the familiar woman next to Zayn’s finger.  Her black hair is a little shorter, stopping just above her shoulders, and her smile is the sweetest Harry’s ever seen.  Harry studies the picture, and notices her features are a lot like Zayn’s own: black hair, sharp jawlines, pouty lips, and big brown eyes that seemed like milk chocolate in a particular light.  His eyes roam back and forth between the photo and Zayn, who gives Harry a confused look.

“What’s up?  You look like you just found out she might be related to you,” Zayn laughs.

“No, but she looks a lot like you,” Harry points out.  “She’s like... she could be your twin!  Maybe that’s why I like her.”

“You’re seeing things!” Zayn shakes his head, “You should have just asked me to dress as a woman if that’s what really gets you hot.”

“You’re an arse,” Harry snorts, smacking Zayn on the arm.  “I’m never going to get a girlfriend if you’re this stingy.”

“I know how to share!  Except I don’t feel like sharing you if she looks like me!”

The sound of a window shattering echoes through the hall, startling Harry and Zayn.  They stand still for a moment, then immediately run towards the open doors of the terrace nearby.  Peeking over the ledge, they spot crowd of people rushing to the backyard, following two of Zayn's friends fighting with a third opponent.  Zayn gasps when he sees Louis running after them, attempting to break up the fight.

“Stop!  We can be civil about this, you don’t have to fight!” Louis shouts, holding out his hands to keep everyone separated.

“She spilled red wine all over our dresses and tried to cut our hair!  Do you expect us to just take it?” one of the girls shouts at Louis, her makeup smeared and her hair in an absolute mess.

“You deserved it, you stupid bitch!  I saw you looking at Zayn, how dare you even think about looking his way!”  Zayn groans, recognizing the third girl’s voice as Donna.

“How many times have we told you Zayn isn’t interested in you, Donna!?” Louis pushes her away from the other girls, still struggling to keep them apart.  “He wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole!”

“Zayn can touch me any way he likes, you cock!" Donna shrieks, "I took that bastard friend of his out of the picture and now I’ll get rid of you and those stupid skanks behind you!”

“I’m gonna rip your fucking head off, you psychotic bitch!” the other girl screams out, lunging forward when she tackles Donna to the ground.  The crowd around them begin to cheer as the girl begins to throw punches at Donna, and chant when Louis tries to pry them away from each other.

“Oh my god, she’s in for it now!” Zayn laughs, clapping his hands.

“Is it wrong to say I’m actually enjoying this?” Harry smiles, crossing his arms in amusement.  “I’ve never seen girls fight before, this is amazing!”

“Girls are so much more vicious when they fight, they get the job done with a lot of screaming.  And a lot of things they carry with them double as weapons, Niall was right about heels!”

Harry and Zayn continue to watch the fight, only for it to be broken up within seconds.  The crowd groans as the chaperones try to separate the girls and drag them back inside, only to start cheering again when one of the girls breaks free and violently pulls on Donna’s hair.

“Anticlimactic fight, don’t you think?” asks a voice behind the two friends.

Harry’s ears perk up and he turns around, finding his mystery maid sitting against the ledge.  She slowly crosses her legs and Harry shifts his feet before he cautiously approaches her with Zayn right behind him.

“Who are you?” Zayn asks.  “Who sent you to entrance my Harry?”

The maid laughs amused, neatly fixing the curls that drape over her chest.  “I’m no enchantress, if that’s what you’re thinking.  Eidem Hall is my home.”

“W-What’s your name?” Harry stammers.

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that.”

“Why not?  I saw your picture in the hallway, your mask can’t save you now,” Harry jokingly tells her as she laughs again.  Her laugh is sweet and it’s like music to Harry’s ears, rivaling that of the string orchestra.  He can only imagine what she would sound like if he kissed her dark red lips, touched her silky smooth skin, and caressed the folds between her legs with his long fingers, wanting to hear her moan his name until her body shook all over from pure ecstasy.

“Game over for me, I guess,” she giggles.  “But now that you know what I look like, maybe you’ll find me at Ancens.”

“Wait a sec!  If you go to Ancens… how come I’ve never seen you?” Zayn asks curiously.  “I’ve been there for three years, we would have had a class somehow.”

“The school has five libraries,” she pauses, standing up to clean the bottom of her dress. “You can find anything if you look hard enough.”

“Wow, five libraries?” Harry asks surprised, and turns to face Zayn.  “I was lucky I even found you at Ahlquist Tower!”

“You could have just texted me!” Zayn laughs.

“Yeah, but I would have ruined––” Harry looks back at the maid, only to find an empty space where she once sat.  “Oh, not again!  Why does she always run off?”  Harry breaks away from Zayn, looking over the ledge before he runs back into the hallway.

“Harry, wait!” Zayn shouts, running after him.

Harry heads down the hall towards the bathroom, and runs his hands on the wall where he and Zayn came from downstairs.  He presses different parts of the wall’s frame, hoping to reveal the secret passageway again, and stops when he realizes the wall won’t open no matter what he does.  He slowly walks back to the terrace where Zayn is waiting for him, and hangs his head in defeat.  Harry wasn’t really expecting anything out of his encounter with the maid, but a name would have sufficed.  A name to put to a face as gorgeous as hers.

Zayn quickly runs to Harry, draping an arm over his shoulder to comfort him.  “I’m sorry,” he says sadly.  “Maybe she doesn’t want to be found.”

Harry turns his head, taking a deep breath as he closes his eyes.  “At least she talked to me,” Harry says optimistically.  “I haven’t spoken to a beautiful woman in a long time.”

“You’re too happy about this,” Zayn smiles, patting Harry on the back.  “If you’re up for it…” he pauses, his eyes shifting a little, “we can go to that late night ice cream shop when we’re all done.  It’ll make you feel better, I promise.”  Zayn holds up Harry’s hand, and hooks their pinkies together for a pinky promise.

“Can I get a salted caramel one?  With little bits of chocolate in a big waffle cone?”

“Wow, you talk to one woman and you get all adventurous on me?”

“Just you wait, Zayn,” Harry teases.  “You’ll see me at my best when you’re not looking.”

The sound of the orchestra’s violins hum through the backyard, and Harry’s face lights up when he recognizes the melody.  Zayn tilts his head in confusion, but Harry simply smiles, and holds out his hand for Zayn to take.  Harry rests his other hand on Zayn’s shoulder and the two begin waltzing to the song playing in the chilly night air.

“Do you know this song?” Zayn asks, attempting not to look down as he dances.

“I can’t remember the name, but I’ve heard this before–it's an instrumental version, I think!” Harry says, spinning them in a circle.  “It’s going to bother me for the rest of the night, I can tell you that much!” he laughs, and lets Zayn twirl him around.

They continue dancing, breaking away from the formalities of the waltz to do their own interpretation of Victorian dance etiquette to make each other laugh.  When the violins fade, they give each other a curtsy, and rest against the ledge to catch their breaths.  After a few minutes, Zayn grabs their masks and tugs on Harry’s arm, pulling him away from the terrace to a different set of stairs, and end up back in the bright corridor of the front entrance.

“I’m pretty tired now,” Zayn yawns.  “D’you wanna head to the ice cream shop?”

“Sure, I don’t mind.”

“Let me find Louis and then we can go,” Zayn smiles, giving Harry a kiss on cheek.  “Stay right here and don’t get into any trouble!”

Harry shakes his head and sits on the stairs, pulling out his cellphone to keep him occupied.  He finds a message from Niall, sent an hour before, reminding him to take pictures during the ball.  “Oh crap, I forgot,” he groans.  Harry stands up and begins taking photos of the room, then takes a picture of himself blowing out his cheeks and crossing his eyes.

“Yeah, that’s a good one,” he snickers, and sends the photos to Niall.  Harry’s phone chimes a few seconds later, laughing when he finds Niall’s response full of happy faces.

“What are you doing, pretty boy?”

Harry turns around to find Zayn, and laughs from embarrassment.  “Niall sent a text asking for pictures, so I’m just taking what I can before we leave.”

“Go on, let’s take one together!” Zayn exclaims, putting his arm around Harry when he raises his phone to take a picture.  Zayn takes out his own cellphone, and begins taking multiple pictures of Harry every other second much to his annoyance.

“Hey, stop that!” Harry laughs, covering his face.  “I’m not the male model, you are!”

“Cut that out, I’m too short to be one!”

“Yeah, but you’ve got the perfect face and everything!”

Zayn shakes his head, then raises his phone one more time to take a picture of Harry smiling at him.  “I already called the driver, he should be here any minute now.”

The two friends open the front doors, and he entrance is empty, save for a few people lounging on the grass.  Zayn spots the Jaguar pulling up, and grabs Harry’s hand as they quickly run down the marble staircase.  The driver gets out and opens the back door, and Harry stops to look back at the bright lights of Eidem Hall one last time.

“You’re looking for her, aren’t you?” Zayn asks quietly.  Harry shrugs, then climbs into the backseat after Zayn.  He shuts the door, then scoots forward in his seat, removing his jacket to give his arms some air.  Harry quickly takes out his blue envelope and sticks it in his back pocket before Zayn can see anything, and folds the jacket in half.  He leans back in his seat, unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt to fold up the sleeves.

“Harry, help me,” Zayn says, trying to shimmy out of his jacket.  Harry leans over, grabbing the collar of the jacket and pushing the sleeves down.  Zayn gives him a wink in thanks, then unbuttons the first few buttons of his shirt.

“This is animal!” Harry jokes, playfully caressing Zayn’s chest.  “This is absolutely the worst thing I’ve seen all night.”

“Don’t be so gentle with me,” Zayn coos, popping open a few more buttons, “all of this is can be yours by the end of the night.”

“You’ve got me all hot and bothered already.”

Zayn barks with laughter, and reaches over to tickle Harry’s sides.  The driver climbs into the car and the boys stop, and Zayn goes back to fixing his shirt as if nothing happened.  The car starts and Harry rests his head against the window, looking up at the night sky like he did earlier in the evening.  Zayn was right, the stars are a lot brighter now, and Harry spots several bright ones, connecting the dots with his mind for fun.

Zayn asks the driver to turn on the radio while they wait in the queue to leave, and Harry sits up, rolling down the window for some fresh air.  The car moves a few feet ahead, and from the corner of his eye, Harry notices a figure emerging from one of the balconies of the giant mansion.  The bright lights show the figure of a woman with a twinkling face, and Harry’s eyes widen, hoping it’s his mystery maid.  She seems to be overlooking the people lounging around the front lawn, noticing nothing suspicious until she looks in what Harry hopes to be the direction of the Jaguar.

The car moves forward several feet and she follows, walking to the edge of the balcony.  She tilts her head, then slowly removes her diamond encrusted mask, letting it sit on the top of her head.  Without thinking, Harry shyly waves at her, and holds his breath when she waves back and blows a kiss at him.  Harry watches her walk away, and he sits back, grinning until his cheeks hurt.

“I saw that,” Zayn laughs, poking Harry’s dimple.  “I kinda squealed on the inside, too.”

–

Harry’s wolfing down his salted caramel ice cream, careful to pick off the large chunks of chocolate with his fingers.  Zayn’s staring in disbelief, unaware that his friend could be this ravenous over an ice cream cone.  They’ve been sitting on the ledge of a fountain across the ice cream shop for less than five minutes, and Harry is already halfway done when he finally notices Zayn burning a hole through his head.

“What?” Harry mumbles through his mouth full of ice cream.  “What did I do?”

“You,” Zayn grabs a napkin, wiping off Harry’s ice cream mustache, “are an absolute swine!”

“Sorry,” Harry giggles, “I haven’t had this in a while, so it’s a treat.”

“I see, like your lady friend back there.”

“She’s different,” Harry sighs, licking the edges of the cone.  “I really doubt I’ll see her again.”

“She mentioned the libraries, maybe she works in one of them as like an assistant!  I'll investigate further if you want, all you have to do is ask.”

Harry shakes his head, believing his encounter with the maid was ill-fated.  She was unlike anybody he'd ever met, and he'll remember the smell of her sweet perfume, her long flowing curls, and that little red ribbon of seduction that sat on her thigh.  “I’d rather have you, Zayn.  At least you won’t run away every time I try to talk to you.”

“I think I will from now on, just so you can pretend I'm her,” Zayn laughs, licking off a bit of his strawberry ice cream from a spoon.  He scoops a big chunk, and holds it out for Harry, playfully feeding him like an infant.  Harry closes his eyes, savoring the sweet, creamy goodness of the strawberry flavor.  Harry winces when his stomach rumbles, and decides to eat his ice cream at a slower pace than when he first started.  He finishes a few minutes later when Zayn is halfway done, then takes out his phone, and snaps a picture of Zayn sticking his tongue out with his eyes crossed.

“Zayn, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course!  What’s up?”

“Well, it’s just,” Harry hesitates, tapping his finger along the edge of the fountain.  “I don’t think I’ve ever asked you but… _how_ did you get into astronomy?  What makes it such a huge part of your life?”

“Do you know I’ve been asking myself that question for the longest time?” Zayn grins, and quickly finishes the last half of his ice cream.  “My astrometry class measures the positions of celestial bodies and I sit there and think, ‘If I can measure the distance of a star, can I go up there and actually hold it in my hand?  Can I go to Saturn and surf on its rings?’” Zayn sticks his hands out, rocking his body back and forth as if he were on a surfboard.  “I used to ask my parents all these questions about the stars when I was a kid and they just never knew what to say, so I decided that I would look for the answers myself.  And to be honest, after all these years, I still haven’t found all of them.”

Harry smiles lovingly at Zayn, egging him on to continue.  “I remember the first time I heard of the Milky Way, I actually thought there was a real planet in space made of chocolate and I wanted to go up there and just take a huge bite out of it,” Zayn laughs, covering his face in embarrassment.  “I still think that, though.  How cool would it be to have a planet made out of chocolate sweeties?”

Harry bursts out laughing, then leans on his legs with his arms.  "D'you want to know a secret?" Harry asks, and Zayn nods enthusiastically.  “I’ve always known about auroras, borealis and australis,” he says, making Zayn’s face light up with joy.  “I don't know why I waited until now to tell you that, really.  But if there’s anything I want to see before I die, it’s an aurora.”

“I’ve never seen one either!  I hear Greenland and New Zealand are prime spots for them ‘cause they’re near the North and South poles.  Maybe one day we can go backpacking around the world to find them.”

“I’d like that,” Harry grins, “you, me, and the stars.”

“Perfect combination!” Zayn smiles to himself, and leans back against the ledge of the fountain, looking at the night sky.  Harry looks up with him and notices two bright stars twinkling together.  He’s not sure if it’s Betelgeuse and Rigel, Orion’s brightest stars, but something about their light reminds Harry about what he needs to do before he forgets.

“Did you ever think it was weird when people would say they had a star named after someone they love?”

“Not really, but I think it’d be cool to have that in your legacy, you know?  I imagine picking up lots of classy ladies when I tell them I’ve got a star named after me––there’ll be a line down the block!”

“Well then, what do you say?”

“Say to what?”

“To this.”  Harry reaches into his back pocket and pulls out the small blue envelope.  It’s finally the moment of truth, and Harry takes a deep breath, handing the envelope over to Zayn.  “Open it, see what you find.”

Zayn stares at Harry confused, then slowly reaches for the envelope.  He runs his thumb over his name neatly printed on the front, and turns it over, lifting open the flap.  Harry is patient when Zayn hesitates, but ultimately nods his head and pulls the thick card stock inside.  Zayn softly reads the inscription on the card, mumbling a series of numbers over and over again until he looks at Harry, his eyes welling up with tears.

“Harry, these coordinates…” his voice shakes, letting a tear run down his cheek.  “Is this what I think it is?”

“You know what it is.”

“But why!  You didn’t have to!” Zayn sobs.  “How could you?  This must have cost you a fortune!”

“Money means nothing to me as long as I know you’re happy,” Harry smiles, wiping the tears from Zayn’s cheeks.  Harry knew he’d get this reaction from Zayn and in fairness, he’s starting to tear up himself.

“Oh, I’m more than happy!” Zayn laughs, “I’m literally just in shock!  I can’t believe you bought a star and named it after me!”

“I told you your name would be in the stars one day, didn’t I?”

Zayn leaps forward, giving Harry a big wet kiss on the lips and death-defying hug that makes both of them tumble to the ground laughing.  “I can’t believe it!   _I cannot believe it!_  I have a star named after me!” Zayn exclaims, kissing Harry all over his face.  “You’ve done the unthinkable, Harry, how can I ever repay you?”

“With love, ice cream, and hand jobs?”

"Oh, you're just being plain insufferable now," Zayn jokes, then stands up and helps Harry to his feet when he cleans off his suit.  Harry feels a sprinkle of water hit his face, and wipes it away.  Another sprinkle hits him again, and this time Zayn feels it too.  Soon, a cold gust of wind blows through the air and Harry looks up, noticing the patches of clouds that were starting to form.

“Oh no, it’s going to rain, isn’t it?” Harry asks, wiping the water off his face.

“It’s not raining, it’s just me crying everywhere!” Zayn shouts and splashes the fountain’s water in Harry’s face.  Harry gasps from its cold temperature, and quickly leans over the fountain, cupping the water in his abnormally large hands and splashing it all over Zayn’s trousers.

“I’m gonna get you for that!” Zayn shouts and Harry squeals, running in the opposite direction when Zayn chases after him.

They try to outdo each other, running in one direction only to run the other way when they think they’ve got each other cornered.  Harry thinks he’s got this down when he narrowly escapes Zayn, only accidentally trip over a corner and fall into the fountain.  Zayn immediately grabs Harry and pulls him out, apologizing and smothering his face with kisses.

“I’m gonna get pneumonia and you’ll have to nurse me back to health!” Harry shivers, holding his arms for warmth.

“Harry, I’m so sorry, I didn’t–– _argh!_ ”  Zayn’s face is dripping wet with the ice cold water that Harry splashed on him, cackling loudly from his victory.  Zayn pushes Harry back into the fountain, and leans over when Harry stands up to face him.

“You’re an arse, pushing me in here again,” Harry laughs with his teeth chattering.  He shakes his head back and forth, making Zayn cover his face from the jet spray heading in his direction.

“Come here, you dummy,” Zayn laughs, cupping Harry’s jaw with both hands.  Harry leans in, and the two friends kiss each other, giggling into each other’s mouths from the mixture of their wet clothes and the ice cold wind.

The rain starts to kick in, and Harry jumps out of the fountain, his feet feeling half numb when they hit the ground.  “Come on, let’s go back to your place!” Zayn shouts, pulling Harry towards the black Jaguar parked on the sidewalk.  The driver stubs out his cigarette when Zayn calls for him, quickly opening the back door for them.  He gives Harry a strange look when he notices his wet clothes, but Harry simply smiles and climbs into the backseat.

The car reaches Harry’s neighborhood in five minutes, and the boys thank the driver for his time before they set off towards Harry’s place.  They quickly undress and Harry runs to his bathroom, drying himself off before he changes into his warm pyjamas and jumps into bed.  Zayn joins him soon after, snuggling against each other under the covers.

“What a night!” Zayn sighs, covering his face with the sleeves of his hoodie.  “We got to dance, saw our first girl fight, and we ate ice cream!” Zayn squeals with excitement, and Harry laughs, adjusting his head on his pillow.  “And my best friend in the whole wide world named a star after me,” Zayn smugly says.  “If that isn’t the best part of tonight, then I don’t know what is.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget a night like this,” Harry grins.  “I’ve had nights that weren’t worth remembering, but they weren't like tonight.  This ball is at the top of the list.”

Zayn smiles fondly at Harry, and leans over to kiss his slightly cold nose.  “Do you think we’ll always be friends?”

“I wouldn’t doubt it for one second!  To have you a part of my life is the best thing I could ask for.  I don’t think I could ever go back to the way things used to be, not when you’ve changed so much of it.  Interpret it any way you like, but I love you so much and you mean everything to me.”

“You know I love you more,” Zayn grins.  “When you said we were soul mates, it really hit a nerve with me, ‘cause I always thought that was something people said when they get married.”  Zayn hesitates for a moment, then continues when Harry smiles at him.  “You made me realize soul mates don’t have to be in a romantic sense, it can just be two people with a connection––something that makes one half complete the other.  You’re the other half of me and I’m the other half of you.”

Harry looks at Zayn in awe, and softly laughs when he feels a tear escape the corner of his eye.  Harry loved hearing Zayn speak passionately about his love for the stars, but he’s never heard him speak about their friendship like this.  Maybe Zayn was just as lonely as he was, but Harry doesn’t think so, not by a long shot.

“Were you lost before we found each other?”

“Never, Harry.”  Zayn smiles, grabbing Harry’s hand to put over his heart.  “Being with you feels like home.”

+++++++

**One Year Later**

A crowd of parents rush to the auditorium of Ancens University, running up the stairs as quickly as possible to get to their seats.  Harry and Zayn lounge on the staircase, observing all the people that pass them.  A male professor claps his hands, asking all the students to line up and have their name cards ready for the ceremony.  Harry quickly fixes Zayn’s suit, making sure his necktie fits snugly under his adam’s apple.  The red and blue tassel of Zayn’s mortarboard falls in front of his face, and he laughs when it tickles his nose.

“Are you nervous?” Harry asks, readjusting the tassel.

“More excited than nervous, I think,” Zayn replies, scratching his neck.  “I’ve never given a speech to this many people before.”

“You’re going to do great, I promise.”

“I’m so glad you’re here with me to do this.”

“What, fixing your suit?” Harry says with a snicker, and ducks when Zayn tries to smack him over the head.

“Zayn, yoo-hoo!”  A woman in a black gown with a yellow sash over her shoulders rushes towards the two friends, holding onto her mortarboard for dear life.  “We’ll need you up front, darling, you’re second in line!”

“I’ll be there, professor,” he replies with a smile, and tugs on Harry’s arm to walk with him.  The line is huge, and Harry reckons there are at least two hundred students waiting to have their name called on stage.  Harry’s not even graduating and he’s probably got more butterflies in his stomach than all of the students combined.  They make it to the front of the line, and Harry greets Louis when he sees him a few feet away from Zayn.

“I still think you were robbed, to be honest,” Harry says with disdain.  “For all the hard work you’ve done, you deserve to be the first class speaker, not second.”

“Hey, don’t start that again,” Zayn laughs.  “Being second is an honor!  I just say my cute speech, introduce the class speaker, and then I’m well on my way into the big scary world of being a paid astronomer!”

“I’m so proud of you getting that job with the Royal Observatory, what an amazing opportunity.”

“You know I only got the job so I can spy on you at the shop with their giant telescope,” Zayn snorts, sticking his tongue out in jest.  “If you hadn’t pushed me to get that internship with them, who knows where I’d be right now.”

A crash of cymbals fills the air, and everyone stirs, realizing the ceremony has finally started when the orchestra plays a graduation march.  Harry checks Zayn’s suit one last time, and helps him zip up his black gown before he leaves to the front doors of the auditorium.

“Oi!” Zayn shouts, startling Harry.  “Where’s my kiss!”  Harry shakes his head and runs back to Zayn, giving him a quick kiss on the lips.  “That’s more like it,” Zayn grins, then lightly pats Harry’s backside to shoo him away.

“Knock ‘em dead, Zayn!”

Harry quietly makes his way into the auditorium, rushing to the front where Zayn’s family is seated.  He greets Mr. Malik with a handshake, and sits in the empty seat next to him.  The line of graduates make their way into the room, and Harry cheers loudly when Zayn waves at him from the front.  They listen to a few words of inspiration from the headmaster of the school, wishing all the graduates good luck in their future careers.

After his speech, the headmaster finally introduces Zayn, making Harry and Zayn’s family cheer wildly throughout the auditorium.  Zayn laughs when he hears them, then motions with his hand for them to keep it down to begin speaking.  Harry was there when Zayn told him he’d been selected to be the second class speaker for his graduation, and helped him prepare his speech to say to his fellow students.  Zayn insisted on adding personal stories, but Harry disagreed, convincing him to keep it neutral to let it apply to everyone.

“Zayn tells me you helped him with his speech,” Mr. Malik whispers.

“A little, but all the words are his own.”

“Sounds great so far––” Mr. Malik holds up a finger, squinting his eyes at Harry.  “Do you hear that?”

Harry and Mr. Malik look around, hearing someone crying and sniffling during Zayn’s speech.  Harry detects the cries behind his seat, and snickers when he sees Niall crying his eyes out.  His girlfriends, Melanie and Liri, try to calm him down, rubbing his back and blotting his tears with tissue paper.

“I’m sorry!” Niall sobs with a hiccup, then lets out another wail.  “I’m just so proud of him!”

Harry rolls his eyes, and catches a glimpse of the woman sitting two rows behind Niall, noticing her hands fixing the long curls that drape over the front of her creme lace dress.  His heart beats out of his chest when he realizes she is the mystery maid he pined over at the masquerade ball last year.  Harry doesn’t know he’s staring at her until she looks over to him, doing a double take when he gives her a weak wave.  She covers her mouth when she laughs, then smiles and waves back at him.  “ _It’s her, I can’t believe she’s here!_ ” he thinks to himself, biting his lip when he goes back to the sound of Zayn’s voice.  Zayn pauses during his speech, raising his hand to scratch his ear.  The sleeve of his gown falls, and Harry grins when he sees the coordinates of Zayn’s star tattooed on his wrist.

“And finally, I just…” Zayn hesitates for a moment, looking between the podium and the crowd.  “I want to say that I wouldn’t be on this stage right now without the help of a few people.”  Zayn looks directly at Harry, biting his lips when he holds back a smile.  “Some of us spend our whole lives looking to the stars, searching for a new planet to call home, but home isn’t just where we live.  It’s who we know that makes us feel that way––the people we can count on to guide us no matter where we are.”

Harry cheers and whistles loudly until Zayn leaves the stage, then gives him a thumbs up when Zayn goes back to his seat with Louis and his fellow classmates jumping on him.  The next speech is given by the class speaker, and Harry feels a tap on his shoulder, turning around when Melanie hands him a small piece of paper, telling him it’s from the girl sitting behind her.  Harry excitedly opens it and nearly punches the air with victory when he reads the note, finding a phone number and a message at the bottom: _I won’t run away this time, I promise._

Harry’s phone vibrates in the pocket of of his blazer, and he pulls it out, finding a message from Zayn.

**Zayn:**  
 _This guy is sooooo boring zzzzzz_  
 _I deffo should have been first speaker, so dumb!_

**Harry:**  
 _Told you so!  And put your phone away, you'll get in trouble!_  
 _PS the maid from Eidem Hall is here she gave me her number ahhh_

**Zayn:**  
 _GET OUT OF HERE!!  Go Harry!_  
 _Look at you getting pussy while I graduate hehe I’m proud of you!_

After the ceremony, Harry runs off to find Zayn in the sea of graduates, bobbing and weaving through all the people searching for their families.  He runs into Louis again, giving him a congratulatory hug when he finds Zayn speaking to a few professors.  Zayn spots Harry, and he waits a few moments until Zayn shakes their hands, then bounces a little when he walks away.  The two friends run to each other, their bodies crashing before Harry lifts Zayn by the waist, making him scream with laughter.

“You did it, Zayn!” Harry shouts, “It’s all downhill from here!”

Zayn throws his head back laughing, and tightly wraps his arms around Harry, nearly crushing him like a boa constrictor.  “I love you so much and I owe you everything.”

“You don’t have to say you love me just because I just fixed your suit,” Harry laughs into Zayn’s neck.  “But you know I love you, more than anything.”

“I know I’ve said it a million times, but I really could not have done this without you,” Zayn sniffles.  “You made me realize my worth and you’ve been there every step of the way when I needed you.”

“So have you!  I'll always be there for you, Zayn.  And do you know what?” Harry smiles, putting their foreheads together.  “I kind of like it here on Earth.”

“Me too,” Zayn grins.  “I like being here with you.”

**Author's Note:**

> The song Harry recognizes at the ball is "[The Universal](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrbxWOMpwfs)" by Blur.
> 
> The woman I depicted for Harry to be entranced by is Veronica from "Best Song Ever", but obviously you can picture anybody you like! :)
> 
> [Visual Albedo](http://8tracks.com/jenkojammy/visual-albedo) (accompanying mix)


End file.
